Rose In A Concrete World
by A1terEgo
Summary: When a threat looms over the town of Mystic Falls, Bonnie and Damon must set aside their differences and work together. But as time passes, they will soon discover things about each other which will bring them closer...dangerously closer.
1. New Tactics

**Hello all those out there in Fanfiction-land. Though I've dabbled in Fan-type fiction before, I can honestly say this is my VERY FIRST fan fiction story.**

**I'm a fan of "The Vampire Diaries" and I wanted to focus a lot of the attention on my favorite character in the TV Series, Bonnie Bennett. I think she is an awesome character, but doesn't get the respect she deserves on the show. I also think that the chemistry between she and Damon is undeniable, and like so many fans out there yearning for this relationship to happen, I couldn't help but want to add in my own take on how this relationship would blossom.**

**NOTE: This is my first Fan Fic EVER, so plz, if it seems as if though the characters aren't what you'd expect them to act like - give it time. I'm still trying to get a feel for 'em. Secondly, I don't want to rush this relationship either...I want the bond between Damon and Bonnie to progress at a believable pace, thus prepare for a lot (and I mean a lot of hate) between these two in the first couple of Chapters. Third, please do not hesitate to comment and give me your honest opinions. I strive to do better with writing and I encourage constructive criticism to the fullest.**

**As far as a Timeline is concerned, this story picks up right after the "Memory Lane" episode and thus takes on a life on its own. I would follow alongside with the show, but I'm not that creative, lol. Anyway, that's enough of my blabbering...enjoy the story **:)

**Chapter 1 - New Tactics**

Bonnie Bennett sat in class, listening to her history teacher carry on about the importance of American History and why the class wouldn't be where they were without it. Quite honestly, Bonnie could give a rat's ass about American History at that point. Hell, she was just beginning to learn about her own history as a witch, and the close history shared with those that were vampires. If there was one class she wished she could take it was Witches/Vampires History 101. Although the need for a history class would not be needed if her Grams where still alive, teaching her the basics of magic and all the secrets that came along with it. How Bonnie's heart ached at the simple thought of her dear grandmother - the woman who sacrificed her life for nothing but a pair of selfish vampires, Stefan and Damon Salvatore.

The two vampires, though brothers, were completely different from one another. Stefan was much more tolerable to deal with and much more human-acting. He didn't feed from humans plus he was dating Bonnie's best friend, Elena Gilbert, so that earned him some brownie points…some. His bastard of a brother however, Damon, could easily be described as the Devil incarnated. With no regard to human life and having the insatiable appetite to use people whenever the opportunity aroused, Damon was the main reason as to why so many things in Bonnie's life was wrong. He had brought so much death and baggage along to the once sleepy town of Mystic Falls that Bonnie felt nothing but obligation to protect it. The Founder's Court wasn't doing so well (especially since Damon was a member) and the recent discovery of Werewolves only added more drama to Bonnie's already complicated life. If there was ever a time that she wished that life was merely a bad dream…this was the time she had wished to wake up.

The school bell rang which signaled all of the students in classrooms to get off school grounds and go home. Bonnie wasted no time in grabbing her books and clutching them close to her chest, making her way hurriedly through the hallways and out towards the parking lot, the young woman stopped in her steps as she looked out into the distance. Having to narrow her hazel green eyes towards the figure, Bonnie merely perched her lips together as she tried to hide within the crowd to loose sight of Elena. The two hadn't been talking to each other, not since the witch made a magic ring for newborn vampire friend, Caroline, to walk into the sun. Once the witch was out of line-sight of Elena, she made her way to her blue Hybrid and stopped short in front of the driver's door as she looked at the mirror in front of her. In the reflection she saw herself frowning at the dark figure that was standing menacingly behind her, his arms crossed over each other. Turning her body slowly around, she met eyes with the serious expression that was plastered on the man's face.

"You lit me on fire, you little witch," Damon spat out, those brilliant blue eyes of his scaling the caramel skinned woman as if though she would be his next meal. To say that the vampire was a bit pissed about Bonnie setting him on fire would be the understatement of the century; he wanted so badly to lunge his teeth to the golden neck of hers and savagely devour her life-force for himself. Maybe if he weren't so preoccupied with trying to figure out the Lockwood's family secret then maybe he would have. But better late than never, right? "You know, I have half a mind to break that pretty little neck of yours and leave you here in the parking lot to rot. Then maybe we can call it even?" A sinister smirk played at the corner of his mouth, causing Bonnie to narrow those emerald eyes of hers even more.

"You're right, Damon," she responded through gritted teeth, "You do have half a mind. Especially if you think that I would hesitate to light your ass on fire again for all the shit you've done. Don't test me, Damon…I am not to be tested."

"Oh, on the contrary. I have every intention of making your life a living hell for what you did to me back at that carnival. So if you think that that little Migraine-trick of yours is going to work forever, you've got another think coming." The vampire inched closer to the woman which prompted her to back up against her car. Damon extended a hand forward and leaned it against her blue Hybrid, his eyes growing black and the veins around his face becoming more prominent. The next couple of words he spoke where mere growls of anger, "I tried to do the whole 'nice thing' but that obviously doesn't do shit for you. So the way I see it - watch your back witch. Because one day you're going to be caught off guard, and then it's lights ou-"

But before Damon could finish his sentence, a excruciating pain began to grow in his head. The pain was all too familiar to him thus causing him to curse under his breath as he quickly fell to the ground in agony. Bonnie's eyes were wide and filled with anger while she glared down at the vampire in immense pain. She didn't care if there were onlookers about, she was too preoccupied with making sure that Damon was hurting just as bad physically as she had been emotionally (if not mentally too).

"You still haven't learned, have you?" Bonnie said almost too calmly, taking a step towards the vampire with every word she spoke. "Nothing you've said or done is new to me at this point, Damon. You wanna threaten me? Then make sure you're using a tactic I haven't seen or heard from you before. In the meantime, stay the hell away from me!" Several students passing by looked on at the vampire on the ground screaming and twitching in agony, his hands clutched to his head firmly. Bonnie never took her eyes off Damon, even as she began to back away and jump into the driver's seat of her car. It wasn't until she started the engine and began to drive out of the parking lot did Damon feel the pain of the little witch's power subside.

The first emotion that rose from Damon was that of anger; pure hate and rage that he could have easily taken out on the blonde girl getting into her car nearby. He was just about to when something clicked in his head. Something that, despite the lingering pain within his head, caused the menacing vampire to smile sinisterly to himself. Nodding his head towards the direction in which Bonnie drove off, the man started on his way to make sure that he lived up to Bonnie's suggestion.

"You want to see new tactics, Bennett? Well then…today is your lucky day."

**So there you have it...my first Fan Fic, EVER! I have my second chapter already done and ready to go, but I'd rather wait and hear what all of you have to say before i proceed forward. Your opinions can greatly affect how I edit my story in the future. Thnx 4 reading!**


	2. Space

**Okay, so because I don't want to be rude and keep this story lingering for those that are really interested in reading Chapter 2 of my story, I decided to upload today as well ^_^**

**Thank you to _1beaut_, _Infrena_, and _Hellzz-on-Earth_ for being my first Fan Fic reviewers...EVER! lol.**

**So the story picks up about 10 minutes after Chapter 1, with a nice surprise ending.

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**Chapter 2 - Space**

The drive home from school was a much needed one…particularly because it was surrounded in nothing but silence. Nothing was heard but the sound of tires rolling over rocky pavement (and that within itself was a relaxing sound). The thought of what she had recently done to Damon not ten minutes ago was somewhat of a triumph for Bonnie. She had quite possibly humiliated him in front of most of those high school girls that he'd contemplate making a meal out of in the near future. Served him right. One would think that after they were lit on fire by a pissed-off witch, they'd learn the first time. But not Damon Salvatore…for some reason it seemed as if though he relished in the idea of being a constant pain in the ass. Or perhaps it was only Bonnie that he did that to? Either way, one could only hope that Damon got the message on how serious the woman was about her threats. She was not afraid to take him down in public (that much was obvious now), and the severity of her actions could only grow with time if provoked anymore.

As her blue Hybrid pulled to the curb of her home which she shared with her father, Bonnie had to draw her attention to a familiar looking car that was parked right across the street. Turning the engine off to her car, Bonnie sat still for a couple idle seconds in her vehicle before finding the courage to jump out with her books in hand. Making her way towards her house in the same hurried fashion back at school, a voice stopped the woman mid-step at the bottom of the front steps.

"Bonnie!" Elena's voice brought a sinking feeling to the witch's stomach as she reluctantly turned her body to face her "best friend". Their eyes only met frequently before Bonnie dropped them towards the ground.

"…Elena," Bonnie responded in what could only be described as a timid whisper. Nothing was said between the two women for some lingering seconds, which created a thick atmosphere of tension. Bonnie hated being in the middle of awkward situations, despite the fact she had a knack for getting out of them with such ease. Elena took a couple more steps forward as she wrapped herself tightly with her hands, the wind blowing her long straight hair in the air freely. The olive skinned woman tucked behind her ear a couple strains of black hair which stuck to the lashes of her brown eyes.

"Bonnie, I…why haven't you been talking to me? For the past couple of days you've been completely blowing me off and I can't help but feel like I'm responsible for it all." Bonnie was silent as the wind blew hair in her face as well, hiding a look of sadness. "Is that it, Bon? Are you mad at me about something?"

"Elena, I really don't-"

"No!" Elena interrupted, taking steps forward in front of the witch. She bobbed her head several times trying to make eye contact with those green miniature pools of Bonnie's. "If I did something wrong, I wanna know about it so I can fix it. I wanna be able to say that I tried to do something to save our friendship."

"There's nothing you can do, Elena. There's nothing anyone can do! I was unable to protect Grams, Carter, Caroline, and now it seems like I'm unable to protect my sanity. If I'm being distant, then maybe it's because I'm trying to at least protect our friendship." Though the words could have come out as the sweetest thing ever said (depending on how it was said), Bonnie's tone was harsh and full of anger. The woman didn't directly blame Elena for a lot of the bad things that had happened to her, but she couldn't ignore the fact that her willingness to associate with vampires was a key factor to a lot of recent problems and repercussions that now plagued her.

"Bonnie…I…I don't understand," Elena said, hesitantly raising a hand up to her friend's arm. The gesture only caused Bonnie's eyes to water, but she fought back the tears nonetheless. "Why have you been avoiding me? What aren't you telling me?"

"Elena I just needed some space, that's all." A half truth. "Not just from you, but from everyone. I needed to focus on me for a while. With everything that has happened, its easy to lose oneself in their own hatred. I think Damon can vouch for that one." Bonnie scoffed at the thought. Using Damon as an example in her conversation was proof positive she needed some serious space from everyone. Elena dropped her head to the ground and found the strength to conjure up a smile, though it mimicked Bonnie's sad expression.

"I think I understand. You've gone through a lot, and if you need time to yourself I can respect. Just know Bonnie, that I'll always be here for you whenever you need a friend. Because I am your friend…hell, I'm practically your sister." Elena brought both hands up and went in to give her best friend a hug. Bonnie, with her books clutched tight to her chest, tensed a bit under the grasp but quickly relaxed after a couple seconds. When the time was right the conflicted teen would then again begin communicating with Elena…but for now, she just couldn't handle it. Pulling away, the brown eyed girl wrapped her arms back around her body and began to back away from her friend. Turning around and trying to keep her balance against the forceful wind, Elena made her way into her car and drove off.

Bonnie fought back the urge to cry, and cry she did not. There was no way she'd keep away from her friend for so long…it was unheard of. When things settled to a much more normal pace, then the dynamic duo could once again reign. Elena was her sister…but even sisters needed space from one another.

Turning her body around and making her way step by step up towards her front door, Bonnie struggled to reach for her keys and hold tight to the books in her grasp. Why couldn't she remember the spell she used when facing Katherine at the Lockwood Mansion?

The sudden jiggle of the doorknob and the sound of locks being undone informed Bonnie that her father was preparing to unlock the front door. However, once the door swung open and the young girl prepared to greet her father with a smile that stretched from ear to ear, the figure that stood in front of her caused the young witch to gasp in a frightened surprise while all of her school books fell hard to the floor.

"W-What…h-how did you…?" Bonnie was completely at loss for words as she stood there looking at the smug grin plastered on one Damon Salvatore. He raised a coffee mug up for the young woman to notice - the one her father had given her for her birthday which read "The World's 1 Daughter". Suddenly the shocked expression turned into an undeniable fury as Bonnie prepared to light Damon on fire right then and there, but it was the appearance of her father in the background that quickly stopped her mid-way through her spell.

"Hey Bon-Bon!" Bonnie's father called from the living room, his voice almost monotone. "Oh no…you dropped all your books." Damon looked down at the books as if though he himself were surprised by the observation. Bonnie's furious expression failed to change as she glared at the vampire with overwhelming malice.

"Well don't just stand there, Bon-Bon," Damon's voice was full of sarcastic delight, "Pick up your books and come inside. We have so much to discuss, you and I." Bonnie tried to fight back the tears that had been fighting with her up to this point, but she couldn't hold them back anymore. Closing her eyes and allowing a single tear to slide down her cheek before reopening them to meet Damon's grin wider than his last was sickening. Why couldn't the wind blow away her tears like they did in the movies? Why did they have to be evident in front of this asshole?

Reluctantly, the young girl reached down to snatch all her books up and forced her way through her front door, pissed at the fact that Damon was invading her personal space even more-so than before. The malicious vampire said nothing as he stepped to the side and gave Bonnie room to enter her home. But he continued to smile as he slowly closed the front door with one hand and holding the warm cup of tea in the other.

This would be interesting…

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**Hope you all enjoyed it...and once again thnx u 4 taking the time out to read my small little story in this ever increasing universe. Chapter 3 is still a WIP, but I promise to finish it as soon as possible. I just like to make sure I got a couple Chapters done before I do any uploading...keeps the muse fresh, lol.**

**An plz, as always, share your thoughts. They really do go a long way. Thnx!  
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	3. Warning

**First off, I gotta say thanx you all that have commented on my story, the feedback really is a nice encouragement. And to those who asked if this is my first Fan Fic ever, the answer is YES XD. Now keep in mind I've written stories before, in fact I'm a moderator on an RPG site, but I've only written stories for my Original Characters. I've never written a story that involved an already preexisting set of characters. No one sheet...no nothing. So this whole genre is still pretty brand new to me (that and I'm not the best writer either :P)**

**But either way, I'm very humbled by your comments and couldn't pass up the chance to finish up this Chapter for you all. Be forewarned that its going to take some time before Damon/Bonnie start actually progressing towards a friendship (let alone a relationship) so bare with me as I try to figure out how to quicken that up a bit. Also, to all you Damon lovers out there, I promise to get more perspective on him very, very soon. I just want to set up the story and make sure we're familiar with whats going on. There are going to be a ton of surprises lined up...so get ready.

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**Chapter 3 - Warning**

Bonnie found the act of putting one foot in front of the other, one of the hardest things she had to do at that very moment. Fear (literally) was standing at her door, smiling while drinking tea from her favorite coffee mug; Tea! At that moment Bonnie wouldn't have hesitated to bring the vampire down and set his ass on fire, if only it didn't mean her father would bare witness to who she really was. And despite all that she had done in the past to ensure that the man who had raised her was secure and safe…she didn't want to share that part of her life with him. In a lot of ways he didn't deserve to know. Not to say Bonnie's father was a bad man or anything of the sort, but he was so close-minded and unwilling to accept change in anything that it would only create more friction on top of the existing one between them. The only reason he stopped bad-mouthing about Grams was because she died - other than that, he'd still go on and on about those "crazy women and their witchcraft" and how "they all need to be committed". However, if push came to shove and Bonnie was unable to contain the anger and frustration much longer, she would just let loose all of her power upon Damon.

Bonnie continued forth until she reached the couch that her father stood by, literally tossing her school books to the side. There were so many emotions swirling inside of Bonnie at that moment and only Damon was the one that was taking complete pleasure in watching it. He knew that the girl was strong, so he had to hit her where it hurt the most…home. She asked for a different tactic, well, now she got one.

"How are you doing, Babygirl?" Mr. Bennett asked his daughter, an over the top smile plastered on his face. Bonnie frowned as she quickly made her way closer to her father, taking hold of his face and bringing both their eyes at the same level. Looking deep in his dark chocolate irises, the young woman found herself shaking uncontrollably as she dropped her hands and snapped her head back towards Damon.

"You…compelled…my father?" The air around her began to thicken as Bonnie was still trying to hold back her ability on the conniving vampire. Damon merely smiled as he strolled over towards the woman and her dad, taking long, drawn-out sips from her favorite cup in front of her. If there was anybody in the world that knew how to be the perfect jackass, it was Damon Salvatore. Bonnie claimed countless times that she would get her revenge on the man for what he had done to her, but the vampire made sure to beat her to the punch. In fact, he had half a mind to kill both she and her father at that very moment. But who would Damon be if he didn't play with his food first?

"Well obviously, how else was I going to get in this shit hole?" Damon responded as he flopped down on the couch that Bonnie and her father were standing by. The woman was silent as she sidestepped by the fireplace and looked at the vampire head-on, eyes piercing. "I gotta say though, I thought it would be much more difficult trying to get invited into this place. I mean, you obviously can't be compelled so I only thought it natural that your father couldn't be either. So what a surprise it was for me when the fat, jolly ol' man submitted to my will and let me in. Not to mention he makes the most delicious tea." Damon's mocking tone was only emphasized when he closed his eyes to take another unnecessarily loud sip of tea, followed by a few uncomfortable moans. Upon opening his eyes again, Bonnie stood there with her lips perched and her fists clenched. At that moment, she didn't care if her father saw her use her abilities…this had gone on far enough. Letting her emotions get to the best of her the irate witch would just chance having "the talk" with her father when all was said and done. But the magic called for her to kill this vampire and make him pay for all the hurt he had caused her.

Widening her eyes and lifting her head up slightly, the young witch used her ability to bring the excruciating pain back to Damon's head. Tea spilled on the couch as the vampire dropped the cup in favor of holding on to his head and clutching on to his short jet black hair. Those familiar screams and moans of pain only made the woman intensify her power even more. Though as Bonnie took steps forward towards the squirming man on her brown couch with a fresh seeping tea stain, Damon suddenly blurted out something that was completely caught her off guard.

"Now, Mr. Bennett!" he screamed. Suddenly Mr. Bennett rushed into the kitchen without question. Confused, Bonnie lost focus on her power and instead rushed after her father in haste. Right behind him she had watched as the man grabbed a knife sitting on the kitchen counter and immediately held it up against his throat. The woman's eyes grew wide and her mouth hung open, forcing her to stop in her steps and throw her hands out in front of her.

"Dad! What the heck are you doing?" Bonnie questioned as she took a careful step forward. Mr. Bennett saw her movement and proceeded to slit the side of his neck, allowing traces of blood to slide down. The young woman gasped as she took a step back while nodding her head. "Okay, okay, okay…just…please, d-don't do anything stupid."

"Oh, I think he already did that when he conceived you," a snide voice interrupted the woman from behind. Before she had the chance to turn around and react, she felt her entire body smash hard on the tile floor below her and causing the insides of her mouth to immediately start bleeding. The brute force was heavy upon Bonnie and wouldn't allow for her to turn her head or move her arms.

"Let me go," Bonnie ordered in a groan, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Damon leaned down towards her neck, breathing heavily against her hair. "I swear to God I'll kill you if my father gets hurt."

"See that's where you come in, little darling. I'm a little tired of you pulling that brain-fuck of an ability on me…so I opted for some insurance in case it happens again. If you so much as dream about using that witchy crap on me again, I will slowly and delightfully suck your father dry like the worth piece of shit he is. Then I'll turn around and kill you even more slowly and painfully." Damon's words were serious and his tone threatening. Bonnie struggled underneath the man but was finding it more and more difficult to fight against his friction. Despite her breathing growing more and more difficult by the second, it didn't stop the woman from uttering her warning aloud.

"If you think for one second I'm just going to let you get away with-"

"I'm hoping you won't," Damon interrupted with a malicious smile. "It'll make killing you all the more fun and less time consuming. You're not the only entrée on menu." Looking up at Mr. Bennett, the vampire's eyes shifted eerily as he started to compel him. "When I leave this house you will take the knife away from your neck and remember nothing that has happened within the past 30 minutes."

"Nothing at all" Mr. Bennett said with a smile on his face, the slightly bloodied knife still against his neck.

"You will rot in hell for this, Salvatore." Bonnie uttered more calmly and aware of her defeat in trying to pry the goliath off of her.

"Only if I get to take you with me, Bennett." he retorted. "Just remember - I've been invited in your little humble abode. So maybe now you'll think twice before acting like a total bitch. Sweet dreams." With that, the heavy weight that was applied on top of Bonnie was suddenly lifted off and the slamming of her front door was followed soon after. The young witch lifted her body and started to look around for any lingering signs of the evil Salvatore brother, paying no mind to her father who was taking the knife away from his neck. Jumping to her feet she rushed past the living room and proceeded to lock up her front door properly, knowing it really wouldn't do a difference but still adding some sense of comfort to her.

The young woman stood there in front of the door, both her sweaty palms placed against the door in front of her. Her breathing had quickened and her tears started to roll down her cheeks. After a couple idle seconds, Bonnie Bennett broke down and cried hysterically. Never in her life had she hated a man…no…a monster more than she did Damon Salvatore.

"Bonnie?" The girl could hear her father calling from the kitchen. Bonnie's crying only subsided a bit as she turned her head to meet the gaze of her bewildered father, who know had trails of drying blood going down the side of his neck. "Bonnie, what's the matter?" he asked worriedly. The witch only responded with a slight shake of her head as if though to say she didn't want to discuss anything. Mr. Bennett only narrowed his eyes as he prepared to say something else when from the corner of his eyes he caught a glimpse of a small object on his brown couch. "W-What happened?" His tone was that of shock and hurt. "Your cup…it's broken." Turning her body completely around to examine the damage that had been done to her favorite cup, Bonnie could do nothing but stand there and stare as her father picked up the shattered pieces of her "The World's 1 Daughter" mug. It came as no surprise that Damon would stoop so low as to break something as precious as a simple coffee mug given to a daughter by her father. It spoke only volumes about the warning that he had made earlier to the woman. If Bonnie attacked him again…he'd kill her father. Then he would kill her; A simple science if ever there was any.

But that didn't mean the young witch had to bow down at the malicious man's command. No; she was going to make sure that he would never hurt anyone again. That the next time she came face to face with the vampire…she'd be ready to take him down permanently. Of course, she couldn't risk putting her father in danger on account of her rash decision to get revenge. So Bonnie would wait and study her magic until she was more than confident enough that killing Damon would be as simple as breathing. But in the meantime she'd just run upstairs, go in her room, slam the door, and cry into her pillow for the rest of the day. First Grams, then the carnival, now this.

Leave it to Damon Salvatore to make Bonnie cry.

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**As always your comments are much appreciated and your suggestions are never looked past. Thnx you again for making this new experience for me a memorable one :)**


	4. Moving Forward

**Okay, So I gotta thanx everyone for your comments and urging me to finish this chapter as fast as humanely possibly. now having just watched the recent episode of TVD, I was shocked to see a lot of things being done in the show that I had planned to do originally. So, what I've done is tweak my story so that it doesn't follow too closely to the show plot-line (remember, I want this to be its own baby). Just the same, this Chapter sets up a huge plot and introduces us to some more characters. It's pretty sad too, so grab you Kleenex, lol.

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**Chapter 4 - Moving Forward**

Two days…

Two days had passed since Damon delivered his warning to Bonnie Bennett, ensuring that if she ever attempted to use her abilities on him again, he would take full delight in killing both her and her father. It was a warning that kept swirling in the woman's head all hours of the night, restraining her from falling asleep while fearing that the mad vampire would come into her home and attack at any given moment. Mr. Bennett, her father, could not remember anything that happened leading up to him holding the kitchen knife to his throat. At first he passed off the slit on his neck as an accidental scratch on his part while sleeping, though even he himself wasn't sure he was convinced of his own explanation. Either way, Bonnie was not going to let Damon believe he had the upper hand in this tug-of-war battle for power. She would kill him…that much she was sure of.

Of course the last person Bonnie expected to call within those 24 hours of the incident was Stefan Salvatore. Sure he wasn't the first person she'd want to hang out with on a free weekend, but at least there was a undeniable trust within the vampire; A trust that she could look forward to should Damon ever cross the line with her again. Naturally the younger Salvatore brother had the rehearsed excuses about why Damon was the way he was and all that bullshit, but the irritated young witch didn't care for the weak explanations. The point of her calling him was plain and simple: Damon crossed a line, thus she would no longer hesitate to kill him at any given moment hence forth. Despite the fact that neither Bonnie or Stefan would see eye to eye on a lot of things (especially when it came to vampire relations), they did agree that keeping a closer observation on the unpredictable vampire would be in everybody's best interest. Especially since Bonnie was planning on taking him down.

Thus why the young woman was glad to find her father absent from home when she awoke from the short-lived slumber from the night before. Mr. Bennett had left town in the middle of the night while the girl was sleeping ensuring that, even if Damon did come back to her home, he would not be present for a couple more days as evident by the note he left behind. Bonnie made sure to pass the knowledge onto Stefan so he could tell Damon should he ever bold to come to her home. In any case there was no way she could possibly focus on studying her magic while at the same time worrying about the lowlife vampire sinking his teeth into the throat of her father - there were already too many situations she had to attend to, and she just didn't have the time or knowledge to conjure up a proper protection spell. Regardless Mr. Bennett was on an airplane flying across the country towards a place far, far away from Mystic Falls. That would give the woman ample time to work on plenty of offensive and defensive spells in her Grimoire.

Sadly enough though, Damon was not the only psychotic vampire on the loose she had to worry herself about; there was also Katherine - she was the main reason for all of the craziness going on. She was the reason Elena and Stefan broke up and why Damon was trying so hard to mask the emotions of hurt inflicted by the manipulative vampire woman. She was the core reason as to why Grams died and why the Bennett legacy made the pact of never dealing with vampires. She had turned one of her best friends, Caroline, into a vampire which only tested her dislike for vampires. All of these events were done on account of Katherine and her mysterious motives.

She wanted dearly to talk to Elena about all of these thoughts constantly plaguing her mind, but she still couldn't bring herself to actually sit down and have an honest conversation with the woman. Same with Caroline - her hatred for vampires ran so deep that it caused an undeniable friction and awkwardness between she and the blond. Sure Caroline and herself always had a love/hate type of relationship, but Bonnie would never hesitate to call the woman a friend.

Now?

Now she didn't know what to refer to her as. As bad as it may have sounded and as heartless the witch may have appeared, she couldn't ignore the fact that she was at a point in her life where Grams' teachings were taking full effect on her overall personality; "Protect your family and protect yourself" is what the wise old woman would utter after finishing off a bottle of white wine. Before, Bonnie thought it was just the alcohol taking effect on her Grams' words, but now she got the jest of it. She understood precisely what that meant for her and the people of Mystic Falls. Despite her current feelings towards her friends, there was nothing she wouldn't do to protect them from people like Damon Salvatore and Katherine Pierce (but especially Damon).

Bonnie drove her blue Hybrid down the narrow stretch of concrete road for about 40 minutes. It was a Thursday, so the roads were not crowded like they usually were. With the Grimoire set beside her securely on the passenger, the young witch looked on at the cemetery that harbored her Grams' body. She would frequently go there from time to time whenever she needed somebody to talk to or was feeling lonely or had nowhere else to go. And even though her grandmother never spoke back to her, there was always a comforting feeling whenever she was near the lone headstone.

The graveyard itself looked like what one would expect from such a place; dreary atmosphere, thin mist rolling over the ground, the appearance of crows from every direction you turned. It had always puzzled Bonnie as to why her Grams would want to be buried in such an unorthodox cemetery, but then again her Grams had performed many unorthodox things that somehow flourished into something fruitful. Besides the young woman learned to never question the motives of her grandmother - dead or alive. Parking alongside some tall, brown trees, Bonnie grabbed her book and made way towards the headstone of her Grams' grave-site. It stood out from all the rest of the graves solely on the fact that all the Bennett relatives who attended the burial left behind ribbons of assorted colors. Bonnie wasn't quite sure what the gesture meant and even went so far as to ask her father (since Grams was his mother and all) what the purpose of the ribbons were. He would just shrug off the question with a simple scoff or a sentence that went along the lines of _'It's only witchery stuff you need not concern yourself with'_. The young witch never understood why the relationship between her father and Grams was so strained, but she never pushed for an explanation. Still she questioned it.

Moving her way slowly to the headstone in front of her, Bonnie couldn't help but give a sad smile to the worded block. Setting herself down and crossing her legs over each other, the young woman placed her Grimoire, purse, and notebook down directly beside her though her eyes never left the headstone in front of her.

"Hey Grams," Bonnie whispered softly, as if though not to "disturb" the other bodies laying next to her. It was something her Grams use to do, and now it seemed as if though she picked up the habit. "I'm sorry I couldn't come visit you last week, I was swamped with finals and studying the Grimoire so I could help Elena with the whole vamp-" Bonnie stopped short and remained silent for a while. Amazingly everything that her grandmother had tried to tell her about vampires were right, but it seemed she was already too caught up in their affairs to move forward. If only Bonnie would've listened…if only she would have embraced her powers sooner. Tears began to form in her eyes as the regretful thoughts came to the forefront of her mind, bringing her back to that night she witnessed her Grams' lifeless body on her bed - sleeping peacefully, quietly. "I'm so sorry, Grams," she sobbed as she lifted a hand to her mouth. "I never wanted any of this to happen. I just thought…I just…I wanted to do the right thing for Elena - for everybody. But the more I try to help people, the more I lose myself. The more I grow bitter and angry with the world because…I'm tired. I'm tired of helping people only to gain nothing in return. I can bring couples together but I can never wrap my arms around you again. Any what am I suppose to do about it? Just bite the bullet it seems or else I'll be labeled selfish or a bitch. Well maybe I am? Maybe I've grown past trying to be the voice of reason and I should just let people to do what they want to do? I'm not a savior…I'm not a hero."

Bonnie allowed the tears to stream down her cheeks, lucid green eyes still shimmering brightly in the overcast of the shadows caused by the trees above. Taking a moment to collect herself and using her long sleeved blue sweater to wipe her face dry of any tear-streaks, Bonnie couldn't help but chuckle amongst herself. She wasn't one to mop around and throw herself a pity party just for the hell of it, but fuck it if she didn't deserve one today. Usually the woman would take to her books and focus all of her anger by practicing magic. But even still, as the woman laid still in her grave, Grams always brought out that emotional side out of her. Well…her and that son-of-a-bitch, Damon. The mere thought of his name changed Bonnie's mood drastically, causing her to frown and perch her lips together tightly.

"I gotta tell ya Grams, I've never wanted to kill somebody as much as I do Damon Salvatore," the young witch continued to say shortly after sniffing her nose. "Do you know that he actually compelled Dad to let him in to our house. And on top of that he nearly tried to kill the both of us. And he broke my favorite coffee mug…the one Dad gave me on my fifth birthday. You remember, right?" It was silent as if though Bonnie were actually waiting for her Grams to respond back, but she knew she wouldn't. As much as she wanted to, as much as she prayed she could, she wouldn't. "It was that coffee mug which caused Mom and Dad to get into that big argument? Humph, I can still remember it like it was yesterday; Dad wanted to get me the mug because it showcased that I was a big girl at the time. But Mom, she didn't like the mug at all. I remember her vaguely accusing Dad for wanting me to '_grow up too fast_', or something along those lines. Either way, the argument was weird and stupid, and to this day I still don't know why it was blown way out of proportion. Then again there are a lot of things I don't know, like why Mom left…but…" Bonnie only shrugged as she brought forth another slight chuckle. "Its like you said Grams: _'You can look to the past and to the future for answers all you want, but if you ignore your present self then you're missing out on the opportunity for a fresh start'_".

"Sounded like a wise woman," a deep, familiar voice ushered its way from behind Bonnie. The young witch immediately gasped as she grabbed her Grimoire, shot up to her feet, and turned to face the man who had recently spoken. With wide eyes, the man held his hands in front of him and leaned back a bit, trying to convey to the woman he meant her no harm. "Whoa, whoa, whoa…it's just me. Calm down Bonnie, don't have a heart attack in middle of the graveyard. That'd just be…weird." Bonnie couldn't do more but give a sigh of relief and a look of irritation as she looked on at the figure before her. Luckily for her, it was somebody she knew and considered somewhat a friend.

"Tyler," Bonnie uttered as she dropped the Grimoire back on the ground lightly. "You scared the shit out of me, like, almost literally." The woman stepped forward to meet Tyler Lockwood's more prominent smile, and his height only merely taller than her own. "So how long have you been standing there listening in on my one-woman conversation?" she asked slightly embarrassed, but curious to hear just how much the boy was listening in on her.

"Not too long," he responded. "I just got here a couple minutes ago when I spotted your car up the walkway. I thought I'd come by and say '_Hi_'. I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Tyler nodded his head towards the Grimoire laying on the ground behind Bonnie. The woman didn't even bother to acknowledge the book as she responded with a simple, '_No_'. "Well, I know this might be kind of odd to ask of you right now, and I know you've been pretty distant from everybody at school, especially Elena." The name made the young witch squirm uncomfortably under her sweater as she crossed her arms over her chest and proceeded to look down at the thin fog hovering over the browning grass. Tyler noticed the movement and seemed to hesitate for a moment before continuing to talk, "I just wanted to invite you to this pool party I'm having at my house this Saturday. Its nothing big, just a couple kids from school hanging out, eating barbecue, and getting wet." The man couldn't help but smile at his innuendo. Bonnie narrowed her eyes as she began shaking her head lightly.

"I don't think so Tyler, I'm not really the party type girl."

"You use to be," Tyler encouraged.

"Yeah, but things have changed. A lot of things have changed for me. Ever since my Grams died, I'm just not in the partying mood lately."

"Look - I understand your Grams meant a lot to you, but honestly Bennett, I think you're using her death as a crutch." Bonnie had to do a double take to make sure she heard correctly.

"I'm sorry, what?" she questioned, her tone more defensive than before.

"Your grandmother - you're using her as an excuse for everything now. I mean don't you think the grieving period was way overdue?"

"Look Tyler, just because you don't know how to deal with the death of your dick of a father doesn't mean you have the right to come sprouting bullshit at me, alright? At least I have a reason to come visit my Grams." Bonnie's words were furious and full and rage, until she actually took the time out to think about what she had said. Tyler didn't deserve that. Even though he was a constant douche bag, he didn't need to be reminded of his dead father. She wasn't that cruel. Besides, it was because of her choice to not deactivate the vampire torture device that Tyler's father ended up in a situation which lead to his death. Suddenly, she felt guilty.

Tyler said nothing as he prepared to turn away and head in the opposite direction, but it was Bonnie's grasp upon his arm that stopped him mid-step.

"Tyler, wait," she pleaded with sad eyes. "I-I'm…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." Tyler was silent as his quick breathing was made evident by the steady rhythm of his chest inflating and deflating. "I don't know why I said that, I've just been really messed up lately and I-"

"No - I'm sorry," the man said, his back still partially facing her. "You're right; I don't know how to deal with my old man's death. So _what_ do I do? I lash out at one of the only friends I have left." The boy held his head down towards the ground, igniting Bonnie's guilt even more. She knew in her mind that she was not at all responsible for Mr. Lockwood's death though her decision not to deactivate the device told her otherwise.

"Look about the pool party," Bonnie was hesitant and literally had to force the words out of her mouth, "I can't stay for too long. I honestly have a lot of things I gotta do this weekend." Plotting a way to kill Damon Salvatore being at the top of her list. "But, as a friend, I'll try my hardest to make it." Tyler said nothing but let the small grin playing on the corner of his lips showcase his approval. Bonnie let go of the man's arm and returned to crossing her own over her chest.

"I'll hold you to that, Bonnie," the man said as he continued to walk away, the mist below him parting from all sides with every step he took. "I trust you'll be there. Just remember it's a pool party. The less clothes, the better." Bonnie was already beginning to regret her decision.

As Tyler made his way past the thick trees and the mist began to thin out, he soon spotted the black truck that he had used for a means of transportation. Jogging around the back until he reached the passenger side, the young man opened the door and jumped inside the dark car. Looking straight ahead, Tyler directed his upcoming sentence to the older man sitting across from him in the driver's seat.

"She said she'd come to the party," Tyler reassured the man beside him. The dark figure only smirked in the dark as he reached for the keys stuck in the ignition and turned the car on. "You think this will work? I mean trying to get her to the party was hard enough. I just don't think she'll be easy to persuade." The bronze skinned man in the driver's seat merely smiled at his nephew's lack of faith. Of course his plan would work - they always worked.

"Ty, have I _ever_ given you a reason not to trust me?" Mason asked with raised eyebrows looking ahead. Tyler turned his head and faced his uncle with a stoned expression.

"Yes." His response was flat and straight to the point. Mason merely chuckled as he shifted his truck into gear and proceeded to drive off.

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**I hope you enjoyed the chapters, and plz remember that your comments are greatly encouraged (good or bad). Thnx 4 reading (and to my Damon lovers out there, the next chapter will be more your speed I promise) XD **


	5. Me, Myself, & I Don't Care

**Wow, I just want to say thnx to everyone for your kind words and enthusiasm for this story. **

**Its really cool to see that my take on TVD ship is doing justice to at least the fans, and that's more important than anything (with the possible exception of the author herself, lol). Either way, I promised all you Damon lovers out there that I had a chapter for you, and here it is. And don't worry, Damon/Bonnie will interact much sooner than you think. I would say more, but then I'd ruin the surprise. Anyway, enjoy

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**Chapter 5 - Me, Myself, & I Don't Care**

Damon Salvatore…

There were so many things about the man that awoken specific emotions in every individual he met. Some people were fascinated by his uncanny and unmatched sex appeal that drove half the girls in Mystic Falls insane. Some were intrigued by those hypnotizing blue eyes of his and that edgy bad boy swag of his that just made him so intimidating. However most people loathed the Salvatore brother and would want nothing more than to watch him burn in the very pits of Hell from which he came from. But that was the best thing about being Damon Salvatore…he didn't give a flying fuck what you thought about him. And if you wanted to confront him on an issue you better be ready to duke it out, because the man was not one to sit idly by and let some weakling steal his thunder. Even still there were certain aspects that not many people knew about - aspects that he himself would try to ignore by tapping into the vampire switch that allowed for him to turn off all emotions within.

Of course, with the recent appearance of Katherine, those emotions he once had for the stunning vamp seemed to be fading into the darkness. Not because he was falling out of love for her, but because he would will himself to turn off any lingering emotions for her should the occasion call for such an act. The practice of doing so was not easy either, for when he did come face to face to Katherine a second time around it brought back so many good memories that the two once shared long ago. Or at least what he thought they shared. Damon still couldn't believe that he was merely just a play thing for Katherine while Stefan was the one given the opportunity to love the woman he had been obsessing over for centuries. In a lot of ways the realization made Damon seem both parts pathetic and weak; It made him more human to admit to having love and lost…and human he was no more. Thus why it was so much easier to eradicate himself of the emotions he held for Katherine by simply turning them off.

But it was hard…oh, so hard.

Of course, there was always Elena who would be the perfect "replacement" Katherine should he ever feel the urge to tap into those lingering feelings once again. Granted his younger brother already had dibbs on the girl, and she pretty much denounced any feeling he may have thought she had for him in the first place…but Damon was persistent. Once he had his eye on something, he would not give up until he could conquer it (or kill it). Much like that Bennett witch who was so fucking persistent in having him killed. Quite honestly he didn't understand the big deal at all. Way before she started developing her powers like some reject X-Man, she didn't seem to have a problem with him going out and killing people. But because it was _her_ Grams that got killed, and it was _her_ best friend that transformed into a vampire, and it was _her_ father that he threatened to kill when he compelled his way into her home…suddenly there was a problem. To be completely frank, the vampire thought Bonnie was a selfish, bitchy, waste of a human being. God knows he had tried countless times to get rid of her, but usually his boy scout brother was usually there to lend a helping hand to the nosey little witch.

Either way, Damon now had access into her home and he could do whatever the hell he wanted to from that point on. And if Bonnie had a problem with it…tough shit. She'd just have to try and kill him and give him the excuse he needs to end her life. And just to be a dick about it, he would probably leave Mr. Bennett alive so he could grieve over his daughter's tragic murder. That seemed more reasonable.

It was now Friday; Three days had passed since that incident with Bonnie and he still hadn't been back inside her crappy home. So he thought perhaps he would indulge himself and make way to the Bennett home to snoop around her bedroom or something. Maybe he'd find a dildo, or water-bras, or tentacle porn in her dressers, who knew? Long as he could find more ammunition to use against the Bennett witch who had tried to fry him like an egg roll. Taking a sip from his small glass of Jack Daniels by the home bar and making his way towards his large couch where his black leather jacket was located, Damon was preparing to go terrorize Bonnie's bedroom when Stefan walked in the room. Immediately the older Salvatore brother temporarily lost focus on what he was planning to do at hand and narrowed his eyes at his younger bro. Since Katherine met with Elena face to face, Stefan and his girlfriend claimed to have called it quits. The man wasn't sure he believed one word that came out from either of their mouths, but asking Stefan for the ten thousandth time wouldn't hurt.

"Are you sure you and Elena are really broken up?" Damon asked dubiously. His blue eyes became mere glints when he gave his signature glare, both lids closing halfway to give those over the top expressions he was best known for. "I mean, I know your lips say yes-yes, but I wonder if your heart says no-no?" Stefan gave a sad smile as he tried to keep up appearances. He hated to pretend that he and Elena were broken up, but it was the only way to ensure that Katherine wouldn't deliver on her promise and kill Elena if he continued to date her. It was the only way.

"Damon, we went over this," Stefan said as he looked up at his older brother with his head hanging down, eyebrows furrowed.

"I know, I know…I just want to make sure I got it from the horse's mouth. Wouldn't want you throwing a fit should I ever, oh I don't know, want to pursue Miss. Gilbert myself?" A smug smile appeared on Damon's face as Stefan restrained himself from going in to attack him. The older Salvatore brother knew it must have been killing Stefan to know that his infatuation for Elena would not easily be diminished because of a couple words and a current breakup. Again, Damon was persistent.

"Damon…Elena and I may not be together anymore, but that doesn't mean you get the right to swoop in and try to take her." Damon merely narrowed his eyes at Stefan as he slowly walked up to his brother and placed both hands on his shoulders. He stared him straight in those moody brown eyes of his while keeping his tone soft and precise.

"Poor, baby brother," he teased, still keeping his serious gaze on Stefan. "Of course I've got a right to swoop in and take Elena. I mean, you took Katherine away from me without even trying. So give a guy credit if he's so willingly bold to go after your sloppy seconds." Damon didn't even have time to continue on to his next sentence before Stefan used his vampire strength and speed to force him up against a wall. Stefan's once brown eyes were now black like an endless abyss, and his fangs retracted along with a menacing snarl. The movement was a surprise but not without opportunity to strike back, as the eldest Salvatore grabbed hold of his brother's neck and flung him back several feet. He didn't even bother to transform face into the vampire he usually embraced when prepared to fight back. All Damon was looking for was an honest answer from Stefan…and he got one. Both men stood on opposite sides of the living room staring each other down, but it was Damon that broke the glances between them as he went for his jacket on the couch. The youngest Salvatore knew he had told his brother all he needed to know without literally saying anything.

Actions _did_ speak louder than words.

Yes - Stefan was still with Elena. No - Damon wasn't going to get the happy ending he wanted, so what? He had centuries upon centuries to learn how to cope with disappointments, one of those disappointments coming from Katherine. He didn't need Elena, he didn't need Stefan…he didn't need anybody. To be completely honest, the single life was the way to go at this point. The vampire came into eternity alone, why not spend it that way? As soon as Damon snatched his jacket up and was making his way towards the exit, Stefan called out to him.

"Where are you going?" The tone that carried his sentence was filled with worry. Stefan's brother obviously had a history of going out and doing something reckless when things didn't go his way or he got a bit of news he didn't like.

Damon turned on his heels and attempted at a smile before responding, "I'm going out. Is that a sufficient enough answer?" The younger Salvatore wasn't satisfied as he had crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. It was almost as if though their earlier dispute never happened - but when you go through frequent fights day in and day out, it becomes pretty mundane and normal (at least to Stefan and Damon).

"Going where?" Stefan continued to question which was responded with an irritated sigh.

"The Bennett house, why?"

"Don't go."

"And why would I do that?" Damon tilted his head to the side.

"Because I promised Bonnie that I wouldn't let you step foot in her home…ever. She's just starting to come to a point of accepting this whole vampire stuff, so we can't have anything tarnish that trust she's starting to build."

"You mean you don't want me to do anything to tarnish the trust she has for _you_? And to be completely honest I don't give a shit if she accepts me as a friend, an enemy, or her Lord and savior - remember, I don't trust her…I tried to kill her. Most important of all, bitch tried to kill me." The blue eyed man gave a mischievous smile as he felt somewhat of a challenge on deck. It was logic to be completely honest - Stefan and the witch tell him not to do something, you better believe he was going to do the exact opposite.

"Alright Damon, fine. Go to Bonnie's house. As a matter of fact, why don't you wait till she's out of school so you can meet her there and the two of you can sort out your differences then, huh? Or better yet, why don't you pick her up from school and drive her all the way home, that way you'll both have some sharing time with one another." Stefan made his way over to a lone chair near the fireplace with Damon's cold eyes following.

"What are you driving at?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, Damon. I'm just reminding you that the only reason Bonnie didn't try to kill you before was because her father's life was on the line. Now that he's out of town, what makes you think your threats are really going to hold up if she finds you anywhere near her home?" Damon was silent. "She's taken you down twice and burn you alive with no hesitation or problem. She told me on the phone that exposing what she is and what we are would not phase her if it meant killing you. And despite the fact I understand all of her reasoning and her threats…I can't afford you to get hurt. You may be a dick, but you're still my brother."

"How sweet," Damon responded back sarcastically. Stefan held his head low wondering why he even bothered to be nice to his difficult brother. "But I think I can handle my own problems, let alone some cocky witch who just hit puberty."

"Damon…if you go over there I can't help you. _I_ may have been invited inside her house, but there's no telling just how strong Bonnie has gotten over the course of a few weeks. She's not the same girl we met a couple months ago." Damon spun around in a circle and tossed his hands up in the air as if though he had just experienced a huge loss.

"Oh my God, fine!" he barked loudly. "I'll leave the little witch alone…for now. But don't think that I'm done having my fun with her yet. There are a lot of things I need to harass her about, especially when it comes to bringing up that dead grandmother of hers." Stefan made a face. "What? You know it's true. Tell me you don't want to vomit every time she utters the word '_Grams_'? I mean seriously, it's a fucking retarded name. Not to mention the woman's been dead almost as long as I have." Damon shook his head before turning to the front door and opening it wide open, causing his younger brother to stand up on his feet and give a worrisome look.

"I thought you said you _weren't_ going to Bonnie's house?" Stefan asked irritated. The blue eyed vampire only grinned while he gripped the doorknob firmly.

"I'm not…I'm going to see Elena; I wanna see if I can't persuade her to consider a real breakup." And with that, Damon shut the door behind him and left his brother standing in irate silence.

The hours after Bonnie drove home from school, the young witch spent most of her time sitting in her quiet dining room and studying her Grimoire with immense focus. She had already mastered the art of starting fires with her mind, bringing pain to vampires with a simple look, levitating any tangible object that she willed, and creating Daywalker rings to those creatures of the night. But even still, she was only learning a fragment of the magic that was running through her bloodstream and the book. The pages within the worn out book were filled with spells and abilities that Bonnie could only imagine one day mastering, though there were some spells and abilities that the young witch could never imagine using on an individual (except maybe Damon Salvatore). Bonnie would give her right leg to understand the process of creating such a large and complex book as this one. And considering just how young her all-powerful great-great-great-great Grandmother was as a witch, there was no telling just what potential powers laid dormant inside her. But then again…did she want these powers to manifest so sporadically and without warning?

Lifting her hands to her tired eyes, the young woman contemplated going upstairs and spreading out over her bed for a quick nap. However she was just not in the mood to climb all of those stairs to her bedroom (if only she had a teleportation spell under her belt) and instead opted to go lay out on the living room couch instead. It wasn't the most comfortable couch (mostly because is was used for décor), but it would have to do for the time being. Dragging her feet over to the long piece of furnisher, Bonnie flopped herself down on the cushion only to retract back up with a small gasp. Narrowing her eyes down at what it was that had pricked her behind, she came across a piece of broken glass from the cup Damon destroyed. She figured her father was too busy to do a thorough job clearing the couch of any glass because the woman saw plenty other little sharp pieces hiding within the cushions of the couch.

Releasing an irritated sigh and shaking her head in disappointment, Bonnie decided to finish the job her father clearly could not handle and then maybe she could take a nap. Upon reaching down for the glass shards with her fingertips barely touching them, a sudden feeling overtook her. The young witch's eyes widened as a blurry vision flashed before her…one that nearly gave her a heart attack. She watched as the vision showcased her home, only everything inside had been demolished; chairs turned over, pictures on the ground, blood on the wall - a vicious sight. But it wasn't until she noticed the unmoving body of her father laying in the middle of her living room floor that she began to shiver uncontrollably. Blood trailed down the side of her father's mouth as the quiet atmosphere was strangely interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Suddenly a figured walked into view and caught the woman completely off guard. His face was sad and his mouth also dripping with blood. The figure was no less Damon Salvatore and his voice sent an eerie shiver down the woman's spine.

"Don't give me those judgey little eyes," he murmured.

Almost immediately, Bonnie snapped back into the present time, her eyes wide and full of shock. What the hell did she just witness? Did she just predict the future or something? Did Damon kill her father? _Would Damon kill her father? _The woman couldn't help but take a step back into the wall and clutch her neck, unsure how to go about the vision that had just transpired. If what she saw was a glimpse into the future, and if what she assumed was correct…then she had better make sure to dispose of Damon Salvatore quickly.

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**Hope it was well worth the wait, and you can expect the next chapter to arrive in 2 days! Thanx for reading :)**


	6. Double Meanings

**Once again, I have to thnx all you great readers out their for your words & and showing so much interest in this little story of mine (or what I like to call "the Little Story that Could" LoL) Anyway, this is a very is another important chapter that establishes some more relationships with Bonnie. But fear not my readers, after this chapter we will have nothing but Damon and Bonnie encounters...trust me. You don't want to miss those. Enjoy the story...

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**Chapter 6 - Double Meanings**

Saturday seemed to come faster than Bonnie had anticipated. So preoccupied with calling her father almost every hour on the hour the night before, the young woman was still contemplating just what it was she saw when faced with the vision brought on by the broken piece of glass caused by Damon Salvatore. If what she had witnessed in her vision to be true…

"No," the woman said aloud to herself, not accepting the vision in her mind to be concrete truth. "The future is not written in stone…I can change this. I have to." Granted her father was nowhere near Mystic Falls for the time being, so she didn't have to worry about his apparent demise anytime soon. And if Bonnie had to conjure up some sort of spell to ensure that her father would be detained at an airport or abandoned at a Motel 6 for an extra week, then so be it. It would most definitely give her enough time to kill Damon, face the obvious confrontation that would soon come with Stefan, and be powerful enough to take down Katherine. Then again Bonnie always had a tendency to get a wee-bit too cocky for her own good, leaving her vulnerable for plenty of mistakes and not enough focus. Not to say the young woman was a snob when it came to her witchcraft, but her overconfident behavior only hindered her ability to expand upon herself. She knew she was good, but it would take much more than being good to prepare for the danger that lurked ahead.

Either way, she had something else to uphold…a promise she made to a friend that was probably still dealing with the lose of his father. And even though she could sympathize with his lose, she still wasn't sure how a pool party would fix everything? But apparently everybody had different ways of dealing with grief. Tyler's way dealt with having a house full of half naked teens running around and getting wet. Needless to say that if this party were to happen a mere couple months earlier, then perhaps Bonnie would be _way_ more excited about going. But unfortunately she just wasn't the same fun-going teen that she use to be. Though maybe what Tyler was telling her was right? Maybe it was about time she let go of Grams' death and tried to move forward with her life by focusing on the present. Like that infamous quote that would continuously repeat in her mind: _'You can look to the past and to the future for answers all you want, but if you ignore your present self then you're missing out on the opportunity for a fresh start'_. Indeed it was time for the young woman to focus on the present situations of her life and quit stressing over the past.

Her drive to the Lockwood mansion didn't take much time though trying to find a parking spot did. It was surprising for Tyler to proclaim how little friends he had yet it looked as if though half the school was parked in his driveway. Regardless, once Bonnie did find a parking spot she hopped out of her car with her bathing suite in tact; the green bikini top went perfectly with her cut off denim shorts that were unbuttoned to showcase the second half of her bikini underneath. To some it would be considered risqué, but a year ago Bonnie would have just left the denim shorts back at home (if, of course, she could get them past her father). The sudden thought of her father brought back the image of him laying lifeless on the ground in her living room with Damon standing over him. On route towards the house, she had to stop herself short so that she could close her eyes and concentrate on getting the image out of her head. Bonnie knew it was not healthy to dwell over this mysterious image, yet something gnawing at the back of her head persisted that it would be insane to ignore it. Once the image did start to diminish from her mind, a slight touch on her shoulder made her jump in shock. Bonnie gasped in surprise.

"Bonnie its alright…it's just me." The familiar voice, though one she knew, still lingered with traces of _his_ voice when one could spot it out. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, Stefan, it's all right. You just startled me that's all." Bonnie shifted her eyes to the ground as she lifted a hand to her head, still trying to catch her breath. After a few seconds of awkward silence between them, Stefan decided to break the ice once more with his non-threatening tone. He was so diplomatic.

"I see Tyler has invited you to his pool party." The young witch merely looked down at her bikini and shrugged her shoulders, continuing forth towards the Lockwood house as Stefan followed alongside her.

"Yeah…I was sort of under the impression that this would be a small gathering of sorts. You know, something that didn't involve half the Junior and Senior class." Stefan chuckled at the woman's comment. "But I guess I can understand why Tyler would do this. He's never been one to express his emotions openly, so he hides behind the activities of others. Makes him feel like life is worth something."

"You know people well."

"I know from experience. I still haven't been able to fully except the fact that Grams' is gone, but…" Bonnie cut herself off mid-sentence. She wasn't going to go back to that depressing thought that only seemed to bring more harm than good.

"Bonnie," Stefan stopped walking and turned to face the woman once they were inside the mansion. "I wish there was some way I could turn back the hands of time to make up for all that you've lost. I know Damon and I haven't been necessarily-"

"Damon." Bonnie interrupted the vampire's comment, literally spitting out the name from her tongue.

"He's a dick, I know. But I know in him there must be something that-"

"There's nothing in him Stefan," the woman retorted with narrow green eyes of anger, "Nothing but a hollow shell that has done absolutely nothing but bring chaos and bedlam to this town. He's caused not just me, but half of the people in Mystic Falls pain in some way or fashion. In fact I bet he's been drooling all over Elena since the two of you broke up, hasn't he?" Stefan looked up at the woman and tried to play stupid. He knew if Elena wanted Bonnie to know that this whole breakup scenario was a shame…she would have told her. Than again, perhaps its was best that the witch didn't know. One thing was for sure - she was more safe in the dark than being an open target in the light. The two of them stood on opposite sides to one another as teens walked by in their bathing suites, holding giant plastic red cups that were so obviously filled with alcohol.

"I understand you're upset with Damon, Bonnie. I would be too, especially after the stunt he pulled on you and your father. But you can't continue to go down this path with him or else something bad is going to happen to somebody innocent." Bonnie turned her head away from Stefan, chuckling at the irony of his statement and the poor attempt he made at giving excuses for his brother.

"Yeah, well I think the only innocent person at risk here is my father," she snapped back, shooting the vampire a glare. The vampire sighed and tried again to be reasonable with her.

"Bonnie, I promised you that Damon would not go into your home. And I intended to keep-"

"I had a vision," Bonnie was quite use to interrupting Stefan, mostly because she knew he'd stop talking when she did. "The day he made his way into my house, he destroyed something very near and dear to me. Then last night after school when I was…doing homework…I came across some shattered pieces of the object. I touched it and suddenly had a vision pop up in my head. Like, a full-fledged vision." Bonnie saw that a group of teens were making their way towards the couple so she decided to take the vampire by the arm and dragged him into an empty room near the hallway. "In my vision I saw my father dead on the floor in my living room, and there was blood dripping from his mouth. And standing over him was Damon, who also had blood covering his mouth. And before it was all over he gave me this look and said, '_Don't give me those judgey little eyes'. After that…nothing."_

Stefan was silent as he stood there, shifting his eyes from one object in the room to another. He tried his hardest to figure up some sort of excuse to Bonnie, but knew that no matter what he said it wouldn't convince the woman that she believed what she saw.

"Bonnie…I…I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll tell Damon what I saw," she commanded with serious eyes. "And if what I envisioned comes to fruition…he's going to fucking burn." Stefan was silent as he stared deep into the fiery green pools of hate.

"I'll send him the message," the man responded sadly before another voice made it's way present in the conversation.

"If you haven't noticed, the party is outside." The voice carried a bitter tone and caused both Bonnie and Stefan to snap their heads in the same direction, Stefan more so since he heard footsteps coming their way early on. Tyler stood at the doorway of the empty room with his arms crossed over his bare chest, and his swimming trunks hanging dangerously low. Stefan tried to convey a pleasant expression despite Tyler's angered one.

"Hello, Tyler." Stefan said, trying his best to convey a polite grin. The tanned teenager didn't changed his expression, not once.

"I don't remember inviting you to my party. What the hell are you doing here?"

"I came to see your Uncle Mason. I wanted to know if I'd be able to speak to him for a while?"

"He's unavailable at the moment," Tyler proclaimed as he made his way further into the room, stopping directly beside Bonnie. The woman merely stared off into space as she wasn't sure what to do in the awkward exchange. "I'll tell him you stopped by."

"Well maybe if you gave me a call whenever he got home so that I could-"

"Dude, seriously? You must be more dense than I thought because I've already given you two hints that its time for you to leave. Yet here you are…still. What, do I need to throw you out myself?" The man stepped right in front of Stefan, his face merely inches away from his. "Now get the fuck out of my house and stop asking stupid questions." Stefan clenched his jaw as he subsided the anger boiling up inside of him. Fortunately he remained calm for the time being and proceeded to give Tyler a subtle nod to show he understood.

"I'll talk to you later Bonnie, and I won't forget to pass the message along to Damon." Stefan assured the woman of his words though his eyes were still trapped in a duel with the teenage male in front of him. "It's always a pleasure Tyler. Guess I'll see you at school then?" With that, Stefan calmly and slowly made his way out the front door and disappeared into the distance.

"Can you believe that guy?" Tyler asked before turning his attention back to the woman beside him. Bonnie merely shrugged her shoulders, not really sure what to say at that moment. "You alright?" he asked concerned.

"I'm fine…lets just get to the party," Bonnie responded which brought a grin upon Tyler's face. He lead the both of them out of the room and past the hallway. The route straight ahead lead to the backyard where the giant pool was located alongside the growing sound of laughter, talking, and music. "I gotta admit Ty, you really know how to throw a party. Than again, do you even know half of these people here?" The young man merely chuckled at the witch's observation, knowing that she was right so far with her assumption.

"We're in high school, Bonnie. Appearance is everything to everybody." Tyler and Bonnie stopped short in front of an ice chest filled with a variety of beverages. The man reached down and grabbed himself a beer and handed the woman one as well. "Take me for example," he continued as he twisted the cap off his bottle and took a quick sip. "If I all of a sudden decided to be the nice guy on campus, nobody would except me because they're already accustomed to the fact that I'm an asshole. Why mess with a formula that's already proven to work thus far?"

"Because then you're being everything to everybody but yourself," Bonnie responded in a tone that was all too familiar with the logic. "Its easy trying to appease people but it's hard as hell to make yourself happy, trust me I know first hand."

"So how do you deal with it?" Tyler leaned against the wall to his backyard before a guy ran past, chasing a girl who was giggling idiotically.

"To be honest, I haven't quite learned how to yet. I guess key is doing a lot of self discovery and realizing just what kind of power rests within us all." Double meaning. "But I guess we'll never fully understand ourselves and are bond to make a bunch of mistakes along the way. I mean, nobody's perfect, right?"

"Speak for yourself," the man joked as he flashed a toothy grin that caused Bonnie to roll her eyes and mimic the same smile he had shared with her. She was glad to see him light up the way that he did, especially with all that had recently happened within his family. Though it went against everything she had said to Elena as far as wanting to be alone and have time to herself, this was not necessarily a social gathering. This visitation was more so a sign of moral support and giving Tyler the proper shoulder to cry on should he ever need one. Sadly, however, that was the excuse she told herself in order to once again live among the living outside the world of supernatural phenomena. Even though Bonnie was considered a strong, independent, wise young witch in the making…she was still a naive, troubled, emotional teenage girl whenever backed against a wall. For once she was actually mingling with normal people with normal problems on a normal day. But for the time being…she'd force herself to believe that she was here to support Tyler. It was easier than totally blowing off her best friend to come to a pool party with a guy that she had just recently considered a friend.

"There you are!" A voice boomed behind Bonnie which prompted her to turn her head and investigate, but not before she saw the reluctant look on Tyler's face. "You'd think I'd be able to sniff you out more easily, but…oh, and who is this?" Mason Lockwood's eyes scaled over Bonnie only briefly before he extended a hand out to greet more properly. His hand along with the rest of his body was covered in water, which only seemed to define his rather impressive physique. One, dare she say, rivaled that of his nephew's. Shifting her eyes to the ground as she bashfully brought her hand out to shake with the older man, Bonnie spoke softly when she found the strength to look him in the eyes again.

"Pleasure." Smooth.

"You must be Bonnie…Tyler has told me a lot about you," Mason teased as he dropped his hand, giving the woman a crocked grin. "Tells me you're a really special girl. Not to mention he's raved on and on about how beautiful-"

"Was there something that you wanted, Mason?" Tyler asked, leaning off of the wall and giving his uncle a killer glance. Mason merely smiled as he walked by the couple and patted his nephew on the shoulder with his wet hand, making a wet slapping noise against his skin.

"I'm just jerking ya off, Ty…don't be so sensitive." As the man made his exit back inside the mansion, Tyler held his head down and found himself at lose for words to his female companion.

"Well that's my Uncle Mason. As you can probably tell, he's sort of like a hurricane - comes through, causes a catastrophe, and disappears just as fast." Bonnie merely chuckled at the boy's obvious anger towards Mason's earlier comments. Tyler raised an eyebrow and smirked at the woman, inching further towards her, though the woman took immediate notice and leaned back a bit. Sure Tyler was an attractive guy, but he had too much baggage under his belt. That and she barely knew the guy.

"You know, I've been keeping you from being a proper guest by hogging you from everybody else."

"Fuck them…I barely know any of them anyway," Tyler said dismissively. "In fact, why don't you and I go upstairs to talk and get to know each other." Bonnie's face went serious for a moment before she knelled down to set her unopened bottle of beer on the soaked concrete below her. Crossing her arms, the woman gave an arched eyebrow before speaking to the man in a stern and unsympathetic tone.

"Look Tyler, I think you're a cute guy and all but I'm not that kind of girl. And besides, we've only just established a real friendship between each other…so why ruin that?" Tyler bit his bottom lip and restrained the urge to say anything to the woman in front of him. Bonnie looked on at the man and could tell that what she had said must have somehow triggered an upset emotion within him. Perhaps this whole thing was a mistake. "You know, maybe I should go? I've overstayed my welcome as it is." Before the woman had the chance to turn on the toes of her flip-flops, Tyler gently took hold of the woman's arm and held her in place.

"No - please don't leave," he pleaded, "I just…I guess I've got strange methods in coping with stuff. Look, I don't even like half of these people here and you're the only true friend I have left. Besides when I see a pretty girl, I'm usually quick to pursue her. And for that I won't apologize for." Bonnie held a glance with Tyler before finding the strength to pull her arm free from his grasp, a bit surprised at his reaction when she prepared to leave. The young woman was reluctant at first, not sure if she should stick to her gut and leave, or weigh it out and stay?

Decisions, decisions.

"Just behave," she warned gazing at the triumphant smile on the man's face.

"Scout's honor," he promised. Extending a hand out for Bonnie to lead the way to another locale within the backyard, the teenage boy looked up to eye his uncle staring at him from a widow within the mansion . The look on the older man's face was that of pure menace, and the glint in his eyes were filled with such a devilish delight.

"And so the plant has been seeded," Mason said amongst himself as he backed away from the window and prepared to put his next plan into motion.

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**Hope you enjoyed the story, and stay tuned for some Bonnie/Damon action next chapter :P**


	7. TMI

**Hey Everyone,**

**I wanna say thnx you to all of the people following me and/or my story. It's a piece I've been really trying to differentiate as unique, and that took a lot more brain power than I was prepared for. Just the same, everything is turning out smoothly and the plot only thickens with each passing Chapters. I promise you...every cliffhanger is connected somehow. **

**Because I was bored and really had nothing better to do, I made some banners/wallpapers for my "Rose in a Concrete World" fanfic. I'll post them here if you're interested in checking 'em out, just replace every bold (DOT) with an actual dot/period. Please let me know if they aren't working properly or need more assistance. Enjoy the story. **

**POSTER #1: **http:/i534**(DOT)**photobucket**(DOT)**com/albums/ee343/A1terEgo_2008/RoseTag**(DOT)**jpg

**POSTER #2:** http:/i534**(DOT)**photobucket**(DOT)**com/albums/ee343/A1terEgo_2008/RoseinaConcreteWorldCover3**(DOT)**jpg

**POSTER #3:** http:/i534**(DOT)**photobucket**(DOT)**com/albums/ee343/A1terEgo_2008/RoseTag2**(DOT)**jpg

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**Chapter 7 - T.M.I. **

If there was one thing Bonnie Bennett should have been doing at the moment, it was staying at home studying the plethora of spells located in her Grimoire. Instead she was at the Mystic Grill waiting for a bacon burger with a side of curly fries while perusing through an issue of Teen Vogue. Since Tyler Lockwood's pool party the day before, Bonnie found herself being sucked back into a life of normalcy and teenage angst. It was a familiar and oddly comforting feeling that was already stripping her of valuable studying time. Regardless, the conversations she had with Tyler were the type of conversations she missed having and thus it almost seemed necessary that she devote at least one more day to being a regular teenager. Besides she had worked hard day in and day out trying to harness her abilities to a ridiculous height. Maybe the only reason why she wasn't evolving any further was because she was over studying? Whatever the case (or excuse) Bonnie was just glad to have the weight of the town temporarily off her shoulders. Nothing like psychotic vampires, magic, and secret councils to ware a person down.

As Bonnie sat patiently in her seat staring at the empty chair across the table in front of her, the young woman was growing curious as to where her accomplice had run off to? She turned her head around and looked behind her, hoping to catch a glimpse of him trying to buy alcohol at the bar or something of the sorts.

"You know, it _is_ a school night." A voice appeared in the same direction of the empty chair Bonnie had been staring at not five seconds ago. The woman didn't even have time to gasp as she snapped her head around only to face the smug son-of-a-bitch vampire sitting in front of her, his hands intertwined on top of the table while his body hunched over. He wore his signature black jeans and leather jacket over a plain white t-shirt. His hair jet black and stylish in it's own right. Bonnie's expression immediately turned cold and her eyes shot a powerful glance his way.

"Leave, Damon." Her warning was covered in acid words dripping from the tip of her tongue.

"Well I can bother you here or I can bother you at your home? Either way, I guess you're screwed no matter what, huh?"

"Stefan obviously didn't recite verbatim what I told him to tell you? Otherwise you wouldn't be so fucking stupid as to show up here trying to intimidate me." The witch narrowed her eyes and crossed her hands over her chest, feeling that growing sensation of setting the vampire on fire again. "Do you really want to die right now? Here…in front of all of these people? Because let me tell you, I will not hesitate for one second if that's the case." Her question was serious and his response would depend greatly on how fast should would react.

"Funny - cause according to dear ol' Stefan, I'm the one who strikes the first, and quite possibly, final blow to your daddy dearest. Clearly you're not starting to doubt your own visions now, are you? Because let me tell _you_…I won't hesitate either." Bonnie was silent as she looked at the vile man in front of her. How could he relish in the thought of wanting to kill her father, whether it was to psych her out or not? The grin that was on his face only widened as he leaned back from the table and brought both hands to the back of his head. "Ah, so her mouth _does_ have an off switch. How resourceful!"

"What the hell do you want from me, Damon?" the girl asked, irritated and tempted to get up and leave the Mystic Grill. "Because if you're here for some type of favor or truce, then the answer is '_No_'. My only concern is killing Katherine…then you."

"First off, you of all people should know that I've learned never to ask favors from witches again - you can thank Emily for that one." The woman rolled her eyes at the man's cocky smile. "Secondly, I despise you too much to call for some bullshit truce. I'd rather be lit on fire." The woman shot her eyes in his direction, raising an eyebrow in the process. Damon's smile quickly vanished as he dropped his hands back on the table and shifted in his seat uncomfortably, clearing his throat before continuing to talk. "Thirdly-"

"Oh for God's sake, Salvatore, just get to the point," Bonnie snapped at the man with a look of disbelief. "I'm not in the mood to hear your idiotic list, just tell me what you're doing here." Now it was Damon who had grown quiet, though internally he had wanted to reach over the table and rip the witch's heart out.

"Thirdly," the man repeated with a subtle growl, "I'm here on behalf of Stefan; he needs you to flip through that witches' cookbook of yours and see if you can try to duplicate whatever happened to you when you were having wet dreams about me." Bonnie's stoned expression didn't change as his became more menacing. "Apparently, there have been some strange deaths happening outside of Mystic Falls, but they're slowly starting to make their way here. We clearly don't have the time to fool around with some side missions when we've got Katherine and werewolves running around, so he need's you to use your witchy powers to see what or who has been causing these killings and if they're at all connected to our current problem." Bonnie's eyes widened momentarily as she tilted her head at Damon.

"Werewolves?" she asked, her interest ignited.

"The Lockwoods," he responded, "Their whole bloodline consists of 'em." Damon watched as the woman's green eyes shifted towards the table. How could she not have seen this through some sort of vision when she was at the pool party the day before? Both Tyler and his uncle Mason both made physical contact with her and were open for her to read…and yet nothing. _'Is that the reason why the Gilbert Device affected Tyler and his father?'_ Bonnie thought to herself, squinting her eyes at no particular object in front of her. "What, you go to the Lockwood's pool party and don't know this kind of information? Just how dense are you, Bennett?" Bonnie's face went hard again as her eyes shifted back up towards Damon.

"Well, obviously you're more dense than I am because I just told you I'm not doing any more favors unless they involve killing Katherine or you. And trust me, it doesn't need to happen in any particular order." Damon rolled his ocean blue eyes as he clenched his jaw in immense irritation. _'God, this girl is annoying,' _he thought to himself.

"To be honest, I really don't care what you do. I've expressed passionately over and over again how much I don't trust you. You backstabbed me once before, and it's only a matter of time before you do it again. Such a hypocrite…"

"What did you call me?"

"Oh, I think you heard loud and clear, witch. You rant and rave about how bad vampires are and all the trouble that they've seemed to cause you, only to turn right around and go swimming with the dogs…literally."

"I didn't know the Lockwoods were werewolves, alright?" Bonnie clarified in a whisper between gritted teeth. The couple's conversation was catching the attention of some customers within the establishment. Leaning in closer, Bonnie looked up at the annoying man with wide furrowed eyes, "And at least they've never given me a reason to hate or fear them. Much more than I can say about you."

"Yeah, we'll I'm not in the running for Mr. Mystic Falls."

"Good…maybe the competition will have some class this year." The voice that echoed on the side of Damon and Bonnie held a confrontational tone. Damon only narrowed his eyes and smirked as he looked over at Tyler Lockwood holding several plates in his hands, including a basket filled with curly fries and a bacon burger. The young witch stuck a couple strains of hair behind her ear in embarrassment as the vampire reluctantly stood up from his chair to sized him up.

"Tyler Lockwood - you know I thought I smelled wet dog around here earlier." Damon reached out and took a couple curly fries into his hands, eating them one by one before preparing to walk away. Tyler wasted no time in tossing down the food in his hands to make his way in front of Damon.

"You know what Damon, I'm getting a little tired of your bullshit," Tyler expressed quite loudly, catching the attention of some of the patrons inside the Mystic Grill. "You think just because you are what you are I can't take you down? You Salvatores are so fucking cocky." Tyler took a step closer to Damon in an attempt to size him up as well, but the vampire's towering height left little to be intimidated by. The blue eyed cynic merely popped the last curly fry in his mouth and wiped his hands clean of any residue salt and grease. Placing his hands on his hips and giving his signature smirk, he retorted with his own set of threats.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure that a full moon just passed. You're pretty cocky for a boy that will be completely unprotected for a whole month until the next one." Damon was curious as to why the boy would be so bold as to approach him the way he did, especially when killing him would take no more than a snap of his fingers. "I _could _just wait until you're done with you're little date to kill you." Damon heard Tyler swallow the nervous knot in his throat which made the smile on his face only widen in delight. "Or if you're a good boy and stay the hell out of my way, I won't have to put you down like the dog you are. And hey, why stop there? I may even throw in a Scooby snack for good measure." Tyler's rage was beginning to boil and he felt his body being taken over by his anger like so many times before. He had thrown his arm back in an attempt to swing a fist at the smug Salvatore's face, but it was the tight grasp of two delicate hands that momentarily stopped him in his act.

"Tyler, don't. Please." Bonnie's voice was pacifying, and her green eyes were sympathetic. She wrapped her hands tightly around the man's arm and tugged lightly for him to sit down at there table. The man's eyes still filled with rage, didn't respond as he looked back at Bonnie. For a moment, he didn't care about how he appeared and what advantages Damon may have had over him which could kill him instantly…he just wanted to beat down this asshole. But, seeing as how he was nowhere near the strength of Mason and still had much to learn about the werewolf mythos, Tyler bit the bullet and slowly started to make his way to the chair at his table.

"Good boy." Damon uttered, flashing a sinister smile. Bonnie shot a glance over at the vampire before dropping her hands to her side.

"Damon you can leave this place in one piece or several," the angry young woman warned. The vampire merely scoffed at the witch's weak attempt of a threat and turned on his heels to leave the Mystic Grill. Bonnie sat in silence as she slowly turned her head back to stare at Tyler, his nose flared and his eyes beaming with intensity. "Tyler…" she uttered his name but had nothing to follow up with. A werewolf? All these years she spent going to parties with him, and sharing certain classes with him, and even recently at the pool party…he was a werewolf. Was nothing in her world normal anymore? Was this feeble attempt of trying to be a regular teenage girl just a waste of time? "How long have you been a werewolf?" Bonnie asked, suddenly at a lose for her burgers and fries.

"It's more complicated than that," he responded scaling the table with his eyes. "Bonnie I just…I have no one else to turn to, and I thought maybe you'd be more understanding of what I was going through. You're the only true friend I've got left. You're the only one I know who can help me." The woman narrowed her eyes as she looked the man up and down.

"Help you?" she questioned. "Is that the real reason why you invited me to your party yesterday? So you could gain my trust as a means of getting me to help you? Some friend." The woman felt like a fool. Once again she was only needed by her "friends" whenever they needed something. Tyler shook his head rapidly as he leaned into the table and tried to make his point more poignant.

"You don't understand, Bonnie. I have nowhere else to go and I need you to help me get a handle on this werewolf thing before it gets worse. I don't want to be a killer Bonnie…I just want to be myself again." The woman couldn't help but release a long sigh before turning to her purse and strapping it on her shoulder and standing. Confused, the man frowned as his eyes while he looked on at the woman prepare to leave. "Wait, where are you going?"

The woman was already out of her seat and away from the table before turning around to answer Tyler's question, "I gotta go home. There's just too much going on right now, and I need to clear my head before I decided to jump back in some more supernatural nonsense." Tyler nodded his head in agreement. "I'll, um, see you at school tomorrow I guess." Without second guessing herself, Bonnie turned and headed straight for the door in a hurry. She went straight for her car and wasted no time in speeding out of the parking lot.

But in the dark alleyway that was located right next to the Mystic Grill, a pair of light blue eyes watched as the young woman left the parking lot. The man to which the blue eyes belonged to was curious to know (from the conversation he was eavesdropping on) just what kind of help Tyler Lockwood needed from the little witch? It didn't make sense that the boy thought Bonnie could do anything to help subside the werewolf inside him. Nor did it make sense that Tyler was so easy to reveal himself to the woman after only a mere day of hanging out together. Something was wrong with the entire picture at hand.

And whatever it was, Damon Salvatore would find out…

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**Hope you all enjoyed the story...and don't worry, there's a whole lot more Bamon action where that comes from. Thnx for reading :)**


	8. Like It Or Not

**Let me begin by saying thank you to all of my readers and commentators. Secondly, I apology for the extended waiting period but I've been out of town and away from my laptop which my chapters are saved on. Unfortunately the next chapter won't be here for another week as well, but I'll make sure they are filled with beefy dialogue, Bamon interactions, and plot twists at every corner. **

**Again, thanx u to all of those that have stuck around for this long waiting for the next chapter. Every chapter is ensured to surprise, I promise. Enjoy the story.

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**Chapter 8 - Like It Or Not…**

Damon knew something was wrong.

The killings that he and Stefan had been investigating outside of Mystic Falls had somehow made their way into town, and not even the media had taken notice of this yet. He and his younger brother were betting on the fact that perhaps it was Katherine doing all of these killings, but none of the bodies carried any of the woman's signature markings (and that was something they were counting on from the vampire). In fact, none of the bodies looked as if though they had been attacked; more like they were sleeping. The only thing that tied one killing to the other was a strange symbol branded on the top of their right hand, clutched close to their heart. The symbol consisted of only two things: the letters '_Mc_' and a red halo above it. For all Damon and his brother knew, these people were probably associated with some sort of suicide pack that was making its way towards Mystic Falls. If that was the case and point than Damon would be highly pissed. One thing the vampire hated more than wasted blood supply, was "_cold_" blood supply.

Just the same, Damon and Stefan scouted the dense woods for the better part of an hour hoping to find some clues that could possibly lead them to this mystery killer. The older Salvatore brother stopped searching the dirty ground and decided to instead plop his back against a tall skinny tree. Scratching the back of his head with the same hand that harbored his Daywalker ring, the vampire yawned in irritation and rolled his eyes up at the bright sun.

"Just what the hell are we looking for again?" Damon asked in a most sluggish way.

"I told you before…we're scouting the woods for clues." Stefan kept his eyes focused on the area in which the woman's lifeless body laid. It was obvious that this corpse was rather fresh, for the vampires could still smell some of the blood's warmth radiating from beneath her paling white skin. Damon hated having to watch food just spoil the way it did sometimes. "You know we could hurry this up a lot faster if you'd helped me to look for something."

"Can't…on break." Damon's smug smirk was only met with Stefan's shake of the head and helpless smile.

"So, I spoke with Bonnie today." The older Salvatore raised an eyebrow, not the least bit interested in the next couple of words that would come spilling from his brother's mouth. "She called to tell me that you picked a fight with her and Tyler at the Mystic Grill yesterday?" Damon was quiet as a sinister smile began to stretch from ear to ear on the vampire.

"What of it?" he challenged. Stefan stopped to take in a deep breath and turn his attention solely on his brother. Honestly, he felt like he were the older one sometimes.

"Damon, you gotta lay off of Bonnie," Stefan said more seriously, "The girl has gone through enough as it is without you coming in and complicating things for her…"

"Please stop," Damon interrupted with a disgusted look on his face. "I don't want to hear another story from the life and times of Bonnie Bennett. It's sickening." Pushing himself off the tree he was leaning on, the man began to look down at the corpse on the ground and narrowed his eyes frustrated. "And why the hell is she calling you for every action I make? If the little bitch has a problem with me…she knows where to find me."

"Indeed, Damon…I _do_ know where to find you." A voice emerged from the distance beyond. Damon looked up and could do nothing more than narrow his eyes. Behind the shimmering green top with navy blue jeans and black ankle-high boots, no one could dismiss the look of disdain and anger on the witch's face. "And FYI, if you call me a bitch one more time, so help me God…" Damon took a challenging step forward, his jaw clenched and fists balled up. Bonnie only met the man's bold approach with a step forward herself, head held high and lips perched. Blue and green eyes stared each other down before Stefan stepped in between the two of them with his hands stretched out towards the both of them. Damon slapped his brother's hand away while Bonnie took a step back.

"We honestly don't have time for this right now," the younger Salvatore brother reminded the two. The eldest one, however, was not hearing a word being uttered to him.

"Why didn't you tell me that _she_ was coming here? It's bad enough having to share space with you, but _her_?" Damon scoffed as he pointed his finger at Bonnie to better emphasize his statement.

"We need her," Stefan responded much to his brother's dismay. "Whether you like it or not, she's the only one who can help let us know who or what is out here killing innocent people. Don't you care?"

"No."

"Well…tough shit." Stefan turned to Bonnie to give the woman a quick wink to which she merely smirked at. Damon watched the exchange between the two and literally had to hold back his reflex to grimace. Sometimes it sucked having to depend on other people for shit…it meant they weren't paying attention to you.

"Whatever," the eldest brother uttered loud enough for only his vampire bro to pick up on. "But if she so much as breathes wrong to me…I'm taking her out." Stefan merely chuckled at his brother's inability to control his emotions. Damon watched as Bonnie followed Stefan's every step around the corpse. With arms crossed and blue eyes narrowed slightly, he rocked back and forth on the balls and soles of his feet as a sign of boredom. There was so much more he could be doing at the moment, but instead he was investigating a death that was probably done by the hand of Katherine, which wouldn't be that much of a surprise. Bonnie stopped in her tracks behind Stefan and felt a sudden heaviness upon her shoulder, prompting her to speak up to the younger Salvatore brother.

"I know this feeling," she said a bit confused. Stefan stopped to give the woman a dumbfounded look to which she explained, " Whenever I'm in the presence of a powerful individual, an individual I've never seen or met, I get this intense heaviness on my shoulders. I read about this feeling in the Grimoire…there's something powerful nearby."

"No shit," Damon said cockily in reference to himself. The young witch sighed in irritation as she fought back the urge to respond to the idiotic comment.

"Bonnie, I know you can look into a person's history by a mere touch. But do you think you can do that for this girl despite the fact she's dead?" Stefan's eyes were pleading and his tone full of hope. Bonnie only looked at the man and frowned amongst herself, not sure if she was so willing to touch a corpse for a psychic reading.

"I'll try," she admitted before kneeling down and hesitantly placing her hand on the shoulder of the dead woman. Closing her eyes and focusing all of her energy on this woman's past, Damon watched curiously as the witch tried to tap into her powers and get something…anything. "Dammit!" The caramel skinned woman grunted as she snatched her hand back and twisted her lips. "I can't get a reading. Maybe my ability is only limited to the living."

"Then how were you able to read me and Stefan?" Damon interrupted the woman's train of thought, a huge grin on his face. Both Stefan and Bonnie could honestly say nothing in response to that observation. "Try her hand," he suggested while pointing to the brand mark on the top of the woman's right hand. The Bennett witch was hesitate to follow the command of the asshole vampire, but she honestly had nothing to lose at that point. Before her fingertips even grazed the top of the corpse's hand, a vision erupted in front of her:

_The woman was dragged out into the woods at night by a hooded man. She was pulled by her long blond hair while kicking and screaming in an attempt to get away, but it didn't seem to affect the assailant's grip. Suddenly the hooded man stopped short in front of another hooded figure, their size much shorter than the man's. The blond cried and pleaded with both figures before the short hooded individual began to chuckle in a high pitch voice, clearly the voice of a female. The blond cried louder and louder until suddenly her mouth opened wide and her eyes went completely white…_

Damon watched as Bonnie came back from her vision, the young witch clutching her chest and taking in huge amounts of air. She stumbled on herself and fell on the ground below which prompted Stefan to rush to her side and help her up. The woman gave her thanks as she used the vampire's strength to balance herself back to her feet.

"What did you see?" Damon asked, clearly uncaring about Bonnie's current state and wanting his information fast. The witch only glared in his direction before deciding to share her vision. When she had finished explaining what it was she saw, both Salvatore brothers looked at each other in hopes that at least one of them could say they knew of these hooded figures in the woods. "Well whoever these people are, they don't sound too much like vampires."

"Then what are they?" Bonnie asked with narrow eyes, worried that she would have to prepare herself for yet another supernatural being in Mystic Falls. Damon gave a sarcastic smile as he began to pace himself back and forth.

"You're asking the wrong person obviously. Besides, shouldn't _you_ be telling _us_ what they are? "

"Whoever is roaming around the woods in hoodies shouldn't be too difficult to spot out," Stefan intervened as he had hoped to derail another unnecessary argument between the vampire and the witch. "Bonnie do you think you'll be able to channel that powerful source you felt earlier? Y'know, maybe track them down or at least pinpoint them so that Damon and I could try and decipher where we need to be?" Bonnie didn't respond but instead nodded her head. Damon, growing more bored by the second, let out a grunt as he made his way past Bonnie and started to head out of the woods. Suddenly, a crack was heard in the distance followed by a swift ruffling sound. Stefan, Damon and Bonnie all paused as they immediately began scanning around the open woods.

"What was that?" Bonnie asked in a whisper so inaudible that only a vampire would be able to hear…which they did.

"I don't know," Stefan started to say, "Maybe a deer or rabbit or some type of animal." Damon only furrowed his brows while continuing to move forth step by step, hoping to catch sight of whatever it was that was constantly making noises around the group. At that moment the vampire caught sight of a black figure in the distance peeking from behind a thick tree…they were wearing a hoodie.

"I spotted him!" the eldest Salvatore exclaimed before bolting in the direction of the proposed murderer. The hooded man wasted no time in fleeing from behind his hiding spot but was in no way able to escape from the sights of a speeding vampire who's grip was gripped around his wrist. "Ah-uh, I have a game of Twenty Questions with your name written all over it," the vampire teased reaching for the hooded man's mask which was painted completely black. In no time Stefan was right beside Damon and helping to pin the struggling assailant down on the leaf covered ground. Reaching a second time for the man's mask, the eldest brother smirked in preparation to see the face to this murderer.

Suddenly a huge force came forth and knocked both Damon and Stefan off of the masked man, sending them several feet away from where they originally were. Before they knew it, the second hooded individual (whom they immediately assumed was the female one) knelled over the masked man, her back positioned to both vampires. As the woman's delicate caramel-skinned fingers grazed over the hooded man's mask, Damon grunted a bit as he found the strength to stand on his feet again. Stefan, however, was not as strong as his brother thus took a lot longer to find his balance to stand.

"Hate to break up the tender reunion," the vampire mocked as he wiped the dirt off of his fitted black t-shirt which already bore a hole in it. "But we're not done here yet."

"Quite the contrary," the mysterious female spoke up, not bothering to directly acknowledge Damon. "We are past done here, and you will do well to remember that. Because the next time you try to peruse us…I will kill you." A threat? Just who the fuck were these people? Damon could do nothing better than scoff at the woman's petty little threat.

"The only thing you've been able to kill, honey, is my patience," the man said before rushing towards the woman, his face taking the form of the vampire beast that laid dormant inside of him. Within a mere few feet behind the hooded woman, Damon found himself being flung back by an invisible force. The impact was so hard that it caused him to roll around on the leafy ground in agony.

"You Salvatores are so damn cocky," the woman muttered in between humorless chuckles, still stroking the face of her male counterpart. "It would serve me well just to kill the both of you now and get this all over with."

"What's stopping you?" Stefan's voice finally ushered into the conversation as he found the strength to stand on his feet and help Damon back up on his.

"So many things," she responded, "But trust me…when she least expects it…you'll both be dead."

"Who?"

"Stefan!" Bonnie's voice yelled out as she had finally reached the group of vampires and hooded individuals. The mystery woman slightly turned her head to the witch with her face still hidden in the shadows, an invisible smile on her mouth growing with each passing second.

"Bonnie…" the woman whispered the girl's name before a growing mist began to swirl around she and the hooded man. "…it's been a long time." Damon turned his attention to the green eyes that frowned at the vanishing image before them, the mist swallowing them into oblivion.

"Who are you, and how do you know my name?" Bonnie demanded. The mystery woman chuckled, her body completely vanished but her voice still resonating in the atmosphere.

"…I know."

A few seconds passed while Stefan, Damon, and Bonnie tried to wrap their heads around what the hell it was they had just witnessed? And how they knew who Bonnie was? Damon couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the witch, a suspicious look overtaking his face. Bonnie turned her face to the vampire and rolled her eyes, already sure of what the idiot man was thinking.

"Don't start, Damon." The woman's words cut like butter as she began to make her way towards the area in which the hooded couple vanished. "I'm going to tell you right now before you open your mouth to say something stupid; I don't know those people and I'm not sure how they know me." Damon followed behind Bonnie with his arms crossed over his chest, still pissed that his black shirt had been ripped.

"Yeah but you see the problem, little witch, is that I don't trust you." The Salvatore arched his brow at the woman and twisted his lips.

"Damon…enough." Stefan warned.

"No, Stefan…I think Sabrina here knows more than she's willing to tell us. I mean correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure she openly said she'd kill us…oh, I'm sorry…_ME_, when the chance arose." The young woman scoffed at Damon's stupidity and threw her hands up in defeat, no longer wanting to waste time arguing with the monster posing as a man.

"I gotta go…I need to try and figure some stuff out." Stefan rushed in front of Bonnie and tossed his hands up in an attempt to halt the woman in her stride out of the woods.

"Bonnie wait," he urged, "I don't think its safe for you to go home on your own right now. Especially since those hooded people seem to know who you are." The woman released a sigh and gazed off into the distance, just wishing that things could be different for one moment in her life. "Damon and I will walk you to your car and we'll ride with you home." It would have been easier to decline the help but even the woman knew that having some temporary bodyguards would be a smart thing to do. "Besides," he continued, "Until we can figure things out, I think it'd be best to have somebody stay at your house until your father returns."

"I'm not babysitting her." Damon clarified to his brother as he stood off in the distance with his arms crossed.

"And I don't need a babysitter," Bonnie responded harshly. At that moment Stefan's phone began to ring in his pocket to which he answered promptly. Placing the phone to his ear, it was easy to see the ever growing worried expression on his face intensify second after second. Damon narrowed his eyes as he used his extreme hearing to catch up with the conversation that was currently taking place. The moment Stefan hung up his phone he prepared to sprint off at lighting speed towards a new destination but it was Damon who had stopped him in his steps.

"Wait! Where the hell are you going?" The eldest Salvatore placed a hand on his brother's chest with an expression that could be surprisingly interpreted as concern. "You're not about to leave me alone with _her_." Stefan merely growled as he shoved his way past his brother and started to strut out of the woods.

"STEFAN!" Damon and Bonnie both called out to the man in unison. They turned to look at one another, not expecting much else to come from that small coincidence. The young Salvatore brother stopped in his steps and held his head down to the ground before releasing a defeated sigh. That brooding expression stayed planted on his face as he turned to look at both the vampire and the witch, both of them carrying the exact expression.

"Elena just called to tell me that somebody tried to burn down the mansion, and I have it under good authority that it was Katherine." Damon clenched his jaw, growing more and more irritated with his old flame's constant string of unfortunate tricks. Bitch already burned his heart into nothing but ash, did she really have to do the same with his house?

Stefan turned his back as he began to head out of the woods again, "I gotta get to the house and see how massive the damage is."

"I'm coming with you, "Damon started before Stefan threw up a hand, still venturing forth.

"No - you need to make sure Bonnie gets home safe. This isn't a two man job."

"Not sure if you noticed earlier, but whatever the hell I'm supposed to be protecting her from may just very well require two men on the job." Damon narrowed his eyes as he started to follow behind his brother, paying no mind that he was leaving Bonnie further behind. "Besides, you already know how much I feel for the little witch. Even if I wanted to, I think-"

"Damon!" Stefan snapped before he sharply turned his head to glare at his brother. "This is non-negotiable. If we want to make sure we can stop Katherine, Mason, and those hooded murders, then we're going to need a powerful witch on our side. And that means Bonnie must be kept safe, or we can just kiss all this hard work goodbye." Both men turned their attention towards Bonnie who stood in the background holding herself. She didn't like the feeling of being looked at like a piece of property…it was dreadfully uncomfortable. "If you want Katherine dead and out of your life like you claimed countless times before, then you'll keep Bonnie safe from any harm." Damon could have just went on a temper tantrum at that precise moment for he hated to be told what to do. Even if it meant ridding Katherine for good, the vampire wasn't sure if he was willing to drop all of his principles and beliefs to justify that reasoning.

"If she doesn't return in one piece…you'll only have yourself to blame," Damon warned as he darted in front of his brother, leaning in to his ear to whisper.

"Its not Bonnie who I think won't come back in one piece," Stefan said before turning to dart out of the woods.

"Not. Funny." Damon called out to the blur that was his brother. It wasn't long before the vampire heard Bonnie beginning to shuffle her feet across the crunchy, dry leaves below her. Holding herself closely, the woman glared with weary eyes at her new vampire bodyguard for a couple of seconds. She would have objected to this idea if she didn't feel worried that whomever those hooded individuals were would come back after her. Sure the woman had a tendency to get cocky from time to time…but that powerful energy she was receiving from those hooded people was just off the charts. And yet impossibly familiar.

Damon had to prevent himself from darting in the opposite direction and go after Stefan…but he knew that he had to be here. Whether or not he liked it, he needed the witch to help him with his endeavors. Although it still wouldn't stop him from grinding his teeth into her neck should she find herself stepping out of line.

'_Great,'_ the man thought as he slowly began to follow the woman to her car in the parking lot. _'Just fucking great.'_

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_**Hope you enjoyed the story, and look for the next chapter after Halloween. Have a safe weekend. Thnx 4 reading :)**_  
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	9. Tit For Tat

**I figured since its going to be at least a week till my next chapter is posted, I might as well post up this one for all you who have been so patient with me as I prepare these stories. I thank you all for your words and comments, and as promised, the Bamon scenes are starting to get more interesting. After seeing that most of you like the action in these chapters, I went ahead and added a bit more action to this particular chapter. Also...this will be the chapter that will set up the romance between our favorite couple. So don't worry...the hate is starting to sizzle away. Hope you enjoy it!

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**Chapter 9 - Tit For Tat**

Silence…

For 5 straight minutes since Bonnie had allowed herself to jump in the car with Damon Salvatore, there had been nothing but utter silence. And for once it was like a moment of pure bliss. No smart-ass remarks to upset her, or physical threats to keep her on the defensive. No grunts or growls that made her cringe uncomfortably, or constant nagging about mistrust and hate. For the first time ever Bonnie was tolerable of Damon's actions. Sure this was a rare occasion (one she'd make sure to mark down on her calendar) but it was damn well worth the wait. Looking out her windshield, Bonnie noticed raindrops starting to fall steadily on the glass.

Great.

If there was one thing Bonnie was most frightened of, it was getting caught in a rainstorm while driving. Statistics showed that those type of scenarios usually ended badly for the person driving, and since the occupant in her car was already dead her chances were looking slim to none. As the rain began to drop more ferociously on top of the blue Hybrid, the young woman started to slow her driving acceleration to an agonizing crawl which caught the attention of a sulking Damon Salvatore. He had leaned his head back on the cushion of his seat, staring up at the roof for the past 5 minutes, only taking a couple moments to glance out of the window whenever he wanted to see just how much closer they were to Bonnie's house.

"Why are we slowing down?" Damon asked irritated, his eyes still staring up at the roof and releasing a heavy sigh. _'So much for silence,'_ Bonnie thought as she continued to drive without responding back to the man. The vampire only perched his lips as he ran his hands over his face, hearing the increasing rhythm of rain hitting against the car's frame. "I asked," Damon tried again, "Why are we slowing down?" Still, the young woman did not respond as she inhaled deeply and focused all her attention on the road ahead of her. Damon rolled his head to the side to stare at the witch, furrowing his eyes in irritation. "You know its moments like these that I hate you the most." The man was know just trying to get a rise out of the woman, but alas, Bonnie would not take the bait. She only clutched the steering wheel tighter while flipping her bangs out of her eyes. Damon could see that today would obviously not end with the two of them going down each others throats, so he rolled his head back up towards the roof and rolled his blue eyes. "Whatever."

Time seemed to pass by slowly as Bonnie realized she still had another fifteen minutes to go until she got home. She wanted to just pull over and kick Damon out of her car…at least that would be something the couple could agree would be the wiser choice. Nonetheless, Bonnie was still frightened at the fact that that hooded woman in the woods seemed to know her, and worst yet was the cause of so many killings going around. What the hell could she possibly want with Bonnie? All she'd ever done was mingle with vampires as they constantly asked her to do random favors for them. Then again, that might have been the sole reasoning to the mystery woman's knowledge.

Turning on her windshield wipers, Bonnie began to squint as she stared at the now rain-sheeted open stretch of road in front of her. At this rate she would never get home.

"Are you always this bitchy with people, or is that right reserved just for me?" Damon's voice broke all traces of concentration the woman may have once had. Bonnie merely scoffed as she turned her head away from the man for a moment, still not sure why the man was so adamant about driving her insane with his stupidity.

"Let's do something different, eh?" The woman began as she scaled the road ahead of her, stopping at a STOP sign and taking the time to turn and look over at the man. "Why don't we just not say anything to each other and hope to God that this trip is over soon." The vampire scratched the side of his head while giving a dubious look.

"Yeah…not gonna happen," he said. "I may have taken up Stefan's little suggestion of riding in the car with you home only because it benefits me in the long run, but I'll be damned if I start taking orders from you." Bonnie felt herself growing more and more irate with the man sitting beside her. Everything he said to her had the power of drastically changing her perspective on everything she believed in; Not a second ago she was terrified at the fact of driving home alone, but right now she'd kill for the opportunity. The angered witch made a sharp turn towards the curb and slammed on the brakes. Pressing a button on her steering wheel, all the doors unlocked within seconds, but most notably Damon's.

"Get out." Bonnie said as calmly as possible. The emotionless command only struck up a chuckle from the vampire as he sat up straight to look the witch over dubiously.

"I thought I just told you; I'm not taking orders from you." Damon placed his hands over the back of his head defiantly as he gave the woman as mischievous smile. Bonnie couldn't help but feel her eye twitch as the urge to use her magic to make the man's head explode seemed like the only solution to her problem.

"Why are you making this more difficult than it needs to be?" Bonnie asked with a rising tone. "I'm trying to save us both the trouble of sharing the same air, and what do you do? You go against everything you claim to stand for just to irritate me even more." The young woman watched as Damon's face grew more serious now. It was obvious that he hated when people tried to psychoanalyze him as if though he were some sort of patient.

"What can I say?" Damon began to respond snidely, "I'm a complicated individual." Bonnie just looked at the man in disgust. How anything so vile and heartless could waltz their way into her life was beyond her. It didn't make sense how she was allowing so much dysfunction to interfere with her life. Surely it was tough enough having to learn to be the Bennett witch her Grams had always wanted her to be, but now she had to deal with the Lockwoods, Katherine, and a couple of hooded killers with supernatural abilities. Throw Damon on top of all that drama and you've got yourself a mental breakdown in the works.

Bonnie turned her eyes back towards the road before slowly accelerating forward, "I hate you."

"Consider the feeling mutual," Damon retorted lazily. The woman scoffed as she shook her head and quickly took a gander at the man slouched in the seat next to her.

"You hate me?" The question came out humorless though Bonnie carried it with a laugh. Damon rolled his eyes as he knew that his one comment would lead to more nagging on the witch's part. "I've done nothing as severe as you have to grant you the privilege to hate me." Now it was Damon who gave a humorless laugh.

"Are you suffering from short term memory loss right now?" he asked. "You deactivated the Gilbert device which nearly killed me and my brother, you keep giving me those massive headaches, and you've set me on fire. I think I've earned more than just the privilege of hating you…I have a right to." Bonnie perched her lips as she drove silently through the pouring rain. It was easy for Damon to take those said situations and make himself look like the victim in each of them.

"I should have never got involved with all of this," she whispered to herself though she was pretty sure the man next to her heard every word spoken. "The less I knew, the better off I probably would have been."

"Yeah well, now you're in the same shit as the rest of us…so suck it up and stop whining about it."

"Only if you stop whining about Katherine." The car was silent. Bonnie knew that what she said had struck a nerve to the man and the tense atmosphere proved that. A small smirk grew on her face as a means to celebrate the small victory she had temporarily taken from the vampire.

"You can wipe that smirk off your face, witch." Damon's eyes were narrowed and focused on the rain in front of him. "Because if I did as much whining about Katherine as you did about your Grams, I'd have more tears to offer than this rainstorm." The smirk on Bonnie's face immediately vanished from her face. Why did the man always used Grams' death as ammo?

"You know, Damon, that doesn't hurt me anymore," Bonnie started to say, biting her bottom lip to keep from blurting out curse words that would make sailor's blush. "It would be so much easier for me to set your ass on fire and come to the conclusion that I've sought my revenge in reference to Grams' death…but I'd be lying to myself. Cause I'm just as responsible for her death as you are. Granted my reasons were not as selfish as yours, but I pushed her into a corner that she couldn't escape." Damon cut his eyes in the woman's direction, not exactly sure what the woman was driving at.

"What's the point of this story?" Damon asked turning his head to look at the woman. Bonnie was silent as she came to another Stop sign, putting her car into park as she looked over at the man beside her.

"Grams set a spell on that tomb, making it so that any vampire that was inside would not be able to come out…ever. In other words, Grams planned on trapping you and Stefan in that tomb with the rest of those vampires." The vampire's reaction was a surprising one. One that neither he or Bonnie saw coming as it didn't seem to fit the moment.

He laughed…and he laughed hard.

For a second a moment Bonnie was scared out of her mind, thinking that perhaps her revelation was the straw that broke the camel's back; that maybe learning of another attempt on his life would send him over the edge. Damon was not one to showcase such emotions (amusement included) but here he was laughing up a storm. Quite honestly it was a frightening sight to behold. Turning his head over to give the woman a disappointed look, he also shook his head in the process.

The man growled as he leaned in closer to the woman with his next couple of words, "Does that family tree of yours consist of nothing but fucking traitors?" Damon couldn't help but to feel like the sole purpose of the Bennett witches was to make his life a living hell. First Emily, than Grams, and now Bonnie. If he had to go one more generation with lying, conniving, treacherous witches, he would most certainly do his own brand of witch hunting. "Y'know you're little guilt trip is only making you more unlikable…"

"I saved you!" Bonnie proclaimed with narrow eyes. They both sat there staring at one another, unsure exactly why and how this conversation got to where it did. "Grams wanted you and Stefan in that tomb but I talked her out of it. I had no reason to…but I did. Just like I saved you at the Founder's Day parade. I'm not looking for you to like me or even find me tolerable, but I do need you to know that for every time that I've tried to kill you, I've also saved your ass. Even when my Grams had ever reason in the book to leave you and Stefan in that tomb, I went against it only to have her die….saving you." It was silent for a moment. "So maybe you wanna think about that before you decided whether I'm expendable or not, because sooner or later I'm going to stop caring." Bonnie temporarily stopped talking as she narrowed her eyes. The man just stared down at her, his anger slightly subsided but still obviously present. He didn't necessarily feel sorry for her, and he didn't let her attempted guilt trip get to him either. No - the man was only concerned about one thing and one thing only.

"Why _do_ you care?" Damon questioned with narrow eyes, his own confusion leading him to believe that maybe he was looking too much into it. Damon simply didn't buy into the whole _emotions_ thing. The vampire shifted his eyes away from Bonnie, his lips twisting uncomfortably in the silence that was now between them. "I guess you're looking for me to thank you for all those times you've saved my life, huh?" Bonnie turned her head away as she sat there in the car unsure exactly what she wanted from the man. The engine still roared above the sound of rain falling heavily from the sky.

"I don't know what I want from you, Damon," Bonnie admitted with a slight scoff, "You claim you hate me but none of your reasons are justified. You make a point of ruining everything good in my life yet you always seem to expect me to do you favors. I'm not necessarily looking for a fresh start…but something has got change. If we're going to expect to take down Katherine and those hooded folks than-"

"We need to work together," Damon finished the woman's sentence, still keeping his face forward.

"I've kept this town safe as long as I possibly could keep it, but I can't do it alone. So if I look to you for a little assistance, the least you could do is stop trying to tarnish whatever trust I may have left for you. Like threatening to kill my father for instance." For once Damon didn't give a snide smile as he sat there in the car, looking out the window with serious eyes.

"So are we proclaiming some type of truce or something?" Damon asked with shifty eyes.

"For the time being…yes." It was silent between the two of them for a moment as neither of them knew how to look at one another. The atmosphere wasn't as heavy as before but it was still uncommonly uncomfortable. The young woman had prepared to open her mouth to say something else, but Damon's head popped up and his face was immediately on the window in front of him.

"They're here." The man announced with a whisper. Bonnie shot her green eyes in the same direction as Damon and tried to see if she could catch sight of what the vampire was seeing. When she didn't see what he had spotted she couldn't help but to ask what it was that the man had seen. "Your hooded friends," he informed, "Or at least one of them." Bonnie sat there nervously looking from one window in the car to the other, the rain blurring her vision outside.

"What are we going to do?" she asked in a whisper.

"_We_ are doing nothing. _You_ are driving straight to the mansion and meeting up with Stefan."

"What about you?" Damon shifted his blue eyes in the woman's direction but only for a brief moment. Before opening his door and jumping out into the storm he gave her a slight smirk of assurance. Bonnie watched in anticipation as his blurry black figure disappeared in the wilderness beside her blue Hybrid. She once again turned her attention towards the glossy windows of her car as she snapped her head from one direction to the next, not sure if her imagination had her seeing blurry images of hooded figures moving from one side to side.

Taking her car out of Park and back into Drive, Bonnie more hurriedly began to drive in the direction of the Salvatore mansion in the hopes that she would be out of the clearing should those hooded figures indeed be after her. She did have to admit that even after her discussion with Damon, she had half hoped that those murderers where looking for Damon instead of her. She really wasn't in the position to fight some overpowered…whatever the hell they were. Narrowing her eyes and keeping her focus on the road, Bonnie noticed something dark in the distance growing larger and larger with each inch the car got closer. It took her a moment to decipher exactly what was positioned stagnant in front of her, but when she saw exactly what it was she didn't have time to catch her breath.

Bonnie slammed her foot down on the brakes below her (the first mistake) that caused her to lose control. The car immediately started to spin uncontrollably despite the fact her hands gripped the steering wheel with the jaws of life. Spinning at tremendous speeds, the car went straight for the dark figure in the rain sheeted street. But as the car came closer to striking the dark figure down violently it suddenly leapt out of view. After what felt like forever spinning in her car, the small blue Hybrid finally crashed into a nearby ditch high above a cliff that lead down to a small river. The tire immediately blew out and her engine began to smoke.

Talk about a close call.

Despite the quick whiplash that involved Bonnie's forehead meeting with the sternness of her steering wheel and the belt strap that yanked most of the air out of her, the young witch was just glad to still be alive and responsive. Placing her hand to the top of her head which sustained a small cut, Bonnie slowly began to undue the seat-belt around her while making her way out of the blue vehicle. Stumbling out into the pouring rain, unable to tell the difference between her left and her right, the witch held herself close before going to investigate the damage caused by the ditch near the cliff. Leaning over to take a quick gander at the roaring waters below, the woman turned her attention back to the car which was beginning to smoke more intensely from the engine. For once the woman wished that Damon was here to help move her car out of the ditch, or just keep her closely protected from that hooded couple. Either way…she was screwed.

"I didn't know getting you away from that vampire would be that easy," a deep, husky voice resonated from behind the woman which brought out a slight shriek. Bonnie widened her eyes and tried to get a clear view of the hooded assailant in front of her. She took a step back, being careful not to slip and fall off the cliff into the treacherous waters. "So…you're the infamous Bonnie Bennett?" The man's face was covered with a black mask - no expression or sign of human features present on the object. The only relevance of life that came from the mask were two holes that were used to showcase the man's deep chocolate eyes. His black jeans and black boots only made the attire appear more modern, but still creepy and menacing.

"Who are you?" Bonnie asked, finding herself shivering. "What do you want?"

"No time for questions." The man's response was almost immediate as he took a step closer prompting the witch to take a step back. "You're coming with me…now." Bonnie's eyes narrowed as she prepared to use her ability to send a massive headache the stranger's way, but a forceful blur rushed past Bonnie and tackled the hooded man down. Unfortunately the blur caused Bonnie to jump back which made her trip backwards off the cliff. Wailing her arms to the side of her, Bonnie screamed as she fell back into the violent river below. The rough impact nearly shoved the remaining air she had out of her lungs.

Nothing was visible under water and her control to swim to the top was even more of a challenge. Though when she did finally reach the top gasping out for air, the woman flailed her hands wildly in search for the nearest land. The rain made it difficult for her to see anything, and the waves bounced her around from one end to the other, making her perception of left and right completely screwed. Fighting to keep her head above water, the woman could do only one thing she thought would be possibly effective. She did the one thing that made sense at that very moment and probably would never happen again:

"DAMON! HELP ME!"

The woman's pleading cry was the only ideal thing to do in that desperate time. Feeling herself sinking lower and lower into the water, Bonnie Bennett was already preparing herself for the impending death that came with this kind of scenario. Tragically for her this would not be the best time for her to die; her strained relationship with Elena, her unnerving attitude towards Caroline, and her hatred for all things supernatural made her probably the most unlikable individual within her small circle of associates. Just the same, if death meant that she could see Grams again and they could live happily together in the afterlife…so be it. However there was always her father to think about, but then again would he really notice? It wasn't like he'd be home to realize his daughter was dead, though none of that seemed to matter at the moment. Bonnie would die, and there was nobody to save her.

Or at least she thought.

A firm grip wrapped around the woman's wrist, pulling her rapidly through the water. Reaction caused her to scream at the realization of somebody taking hold of her, but it was familiarity that brought on a sense of security. Even through the pouring rain, splashing waves and blurred movement of her companion, Bonnie knew that Damon was the one pulling her out of the water at neck breaking speeds. When the vampire finally got the two of them to a sandy shore, the young woman began to cough violently as the water caused her chest to burn in immense pain. Her body grew weak and all the excitement was just about to force her to pass out, however she held on to her consciousness a bit longer.

"Is it that hard to drive a one road street?" the man questioned as he looked down at Bonnie who had strains of hair covering her face. The woman was too focused on keeping her breathing steady and her vision clear to notice both her hair and Damon's comment. It had appeared as if though things were getting too hazy for the woman to handle.

"How'd you….find…me…?" Bonnie whispered out as she struggled to stand up only to fall to the ground again. Damon looked on at the scene before him and was hesitant to do anything beyond his act of pulling her from the deadly waters. But he knew that if he wasted more time the hooded man would surely come looking for them again. So without second thought, the vampire rushed over to Bonnie side so that he could pick her up and carry her off the small shore. It took the woman a minute to realize what had happened, but when she did finally see, her body immediately tensed up. The man must have felt her reaction because he gave a grim expression. Regardless, he decided to answer her question none the less.

"I heard you." he simply said, turning his head from side to side frequently to make sure no hooded couple was following him.

"And…you came?" Bonnie was still in doubt that Damon would do something so noble, especially for her. It wasn't too long ago that the two were about to tare into each other, and now he was carrying her in his strong arms all the way to his home.

"Would you rather I didn't?" he asked irritated before he moved more hurriedly when reaching the woods. "Besides…if you had die I'd never hear the end of it."

"I guess you're looking for a '_Thank You_', huh?" Bonnie's question brought out a genuine chuckle from the man. He shook his head as he slowed down a bit, not sure where the bit of unexpected humor came from.

"I guess I _did _just save your life."

"Yeah…you did..." It was almost hard for the woman to admit. "…thank you." Damon merely grinned at his small victory of gaining some form of gratitude from the woman. Quite honestly he was sure he wouldn't get that much out of her.

"Y'know, there are _other_ ways of thanking me…"

"Don't push it, Damon." Bonnie's expression went serious for a moment as Damon's grin turned into a mischievous smile. The man merely shrugged his shoulders as he rushed through the pouring rain with Bonnie clutched to his soaked body.

"Fair enough."

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**So there ya go...the beginning of the (somewhat) lovefest begins. I can't wait to take this story to a whole new dimension. Let me know what you thought. Thnx 4 reading! :)**


	10. Trust

**Let me start off by saying that all of you reading my stories and waiting so patiently for each chapter to upload are AWESOME! I can not thank you all enough for your understanding and constant words of encouragement. And because you are all so freakin' amazing people, I've made this Chapter EXTRA LONG just for your readin pleasure (sort of my apology for the long delay). But either way, I hope you all enjoy the chapter and bask in the moments that are Bamon, lol. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 10- Trust **

Bonnie and Elena sat comfortably side by side to each other on Stefan's bed inside the Salvatore Mansion. While Bonnie was wrapped tightly in a blanket and sipping on some tea, Elena consoled her friend by wrapping an arm around her and uttering "I'm Sorry" over and over again. It had been some time since the two women actually sat down and talked to each other, and they used every second to their advantage. Bonnie and Elena opened up about everything to each other, including the recently passed event that the witch barely survived, were it not for the aid of one Damon Salvatore.

Damon stood in the living room of his shared mansion with his brother, Stefan, while sipping from a clear glass of bourbon. His clothes were still wet and soaked, but it didn't matter to the vampire. It wasn't like he could get sick and die…again. Of course, leave it to Stefan to try and hand his brother a towel to dry off the excess water upon him. The older Salvatore merely waved a dismissive hand, furrowing his eyes and taking another sip from his glass.

"Please," Damon muttered with his mouth still touching the rim of his glass. "You're trying too hard with the human acts again, Stefan. The clothes will dry eventually. And if not, I'll just buy more…with your money of course." Stefan didn't smile at his brother's comment but instead made his way over to a chair which he threw the towel upon.

"You still didn't answer my question," Stefan said seriously. Damon swallowed the rest of his drink and turned on his heels to glance at his brooding brother.

"And what question would that be again?" Damon responded back with a snide grin. He knew what the asked question was but he just liked to egg on the annoyance.

"The hooded guy you fought," Stefan continued, "Was he a vampire or not?"

"Not."

"So…what are we dealing with?"

"Obviously something supernatural. My guess, possibly werewolves." Stefan gave a dubious look as he stood from his seat and crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head towards the ground.

"No; Werewolves are only that strong when in wolf form. If they're still in human form, they shouldn't pose that much of a threat to us, much less being able to take you on in a fight and nearly win." Damon grimaced at his brother's words. He hated to be reminded of the times he lost…he never lost to anything.

"Don't tease so much little brother," Damon warned, shoving his way past Stefan to stand beside the blazing fireplace. "If that witch hadn't called my name and distracted me when I was fighting whatever the hell I was struggling with, I'd be strolling in here with a brand new trophy to add to my collection of heads." The younger Salvatore brother merely chuckled at his masochistic sibling. "What did the firefighters tell you about the fire Katherine starter?" Damon quickly changed the subject.

"They ruled it out as an accident; cigarette bud started the fire eventually." Damon narrowed his eyes in confusion. "We're just lucky that the rain started up in time before any real damage could be caused."

"Katherine doesn't smoke."

"I know. So either she's back to bringing in props for her destructive scenery, or she's got somebody else doing her dirty work. And if it is the latter, than this person is clearly sloppy and unable to pick up after themselves."

"I wouldn't count on it. Something tells me that cigarette was left behind on purpose," Damon sneered back, growing agitated with the idea of Katherine second after second. "Katherine makes no mistakes and she picks people she know are easily expendable and sneaky. I'd know." Stefan groaned. Sometimes it really hurt to see his brother in pain over the woman he had been obsessing over for centuries. "In any case, did the bitch leave a letter or something? Knowing her, she's still the attention whore she's always been."

"No…no note." Stefan went back to stand by the chair he sat in earlier. Both brothers looked at one another for some time, not saying anything in the midst of the silence. It made no sense as to why the woman was going through all of this trouble for a simple Moonstone that didn't affect vampires in general. Surely if the Moonstone's power did lift the werewolf curse, then it would spell safety for all the vampires in Mystic Falls presently. However if the Moonstone's purpose was solely meant for something else…then none of them would be fully prepared for it.

"Whatever the hell is going on, we got to take care of it quick." Damon's words were serious, almost worrisome. He'd never been put in a position so dire that involved not only him, but the people around him that were (against his best wishes) apart of his undead life. "The hooded folk, Katherine, Mason and Teen Wolf…we've got too much on our plate to deal with. How the hell are we suppose to deal with this all by ourselves?"

"Do my ears deceive or am I actually hearing doubt spilling from the mouth of Damon Salvatore?" A faint voice appeared on the side of both Stefan and Damon, causing both men to turn their heads in attention. From the top of the grand staircase came Bonnie and Elena arm over arm, slowly making their way down towards the two vampires. Bonnie didn't feel as weak as before and made a point not to let on just how weak she was in front of everybody. Damon merely narrowed his eyes and perched his lips together at the witch's comment. One would think that after he had risked loosing the hooded assailant to save her life, Bonnie would be a lot more appreciative for his actions and not so damn sarcastic. Unfortunately he wasn't in the mood to trade witty remarks with the woman and responded back as simply as possibly.

"I'm never doubtful…only concerned."

"About what?" Elena spoke up, leading both she and Bonnie to one of the stretched out leather couches by the fire place.

"We're concerned about everything," Stefan responded. "We've got too many things to worry about on top of Katherine. But right now we got to focus on these hooded people that obviously have some interest in Bonnie." Damon glanced his eyes from the witch over to his younger sibling, curious himself with the reasonings.

"I told you everything I knew when I got here," Bonnie admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. "All the guy said was that I was coming with him, and before I knew it Damon came out of nowhere and attacked him. Granted it caused me to fall off a cliff and into a raging river…"

"Y'know, I think I liked you better in the other room. Much more quiet." Damon gave a snide smile before rolling his eyes and going to pour himself another full glass of bourbon. Bonnie wrapped the blanket around her body tighter, arching an eyebrow at the vampire.

"I thanked you…that doesn't' mean that I have to immediately like or trust you. Lest we forget, there's the little issue of that vision I had of you killing my father." Damon didn't respond but instead began to take sips from his hard liquor. He swore that it was only his love for Elena that made him do "good" things for other people (like saving Bonnie's life), but the problem was that everybody saw it except for her. Clearly she pegged him for the type of person that did things out of the kindness of his heart because he was some sort of tortured soul. Apparently the woman didn't know him as well as she claimed to have because then she'd be aware of the fact that everything he had done was all for her. All of the blood, sweat (figuratively), and tears were solely for her.

Yet she didn't see it.

She never saw it.

"Damon!" A voice that boomed from in front of the vampire brought him back to reality. His eyes immediately met with Elena's before they trailed over to Stefan's. Reaction told him to high tail it out of that room and go pout in his own bedroom, but he knew that that wouldn't be the answer to his problem. No matter where he'd turn or what he did…he would never get rid of the pain that seemed to continually stab away at his unbeaten heart.

"What?" Damon asked irritated, finishing off his drink and preparing to pour himself yet another one. Stefan started to make his way towards his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Damon," Stefan continued, "What's wrong?" Damon merely plastered on a fake grin and shook his head. How Stefan could pretend to act so human was beyond him.

"Nothing little brother, nothing. Everything is just dandy over here."

"Good…cause we're all going to need to keep focus if we're going to take down whoever is out there killing people. I know things are hard right now, but you, Bonnie, and I are going to need to make sure we're all on the same page when dealing with the same threats. The only other reinforcement we can count on is Alaric - suffice to say our army is small."

"And the significance of this inspirational speech…?"

"Gah, Damon does nothing good ever come out of that mouth of yours?" Bonnie's voice interjected in between the conversation, her eyes narrowed at the older Salvatore brother in disgust. Damon twisted his lips and shot his eyes in the direction of the witch, finding it difficult that he actually took the time out to save the woman when he could have left her to die. Or better yet, he could have just let that hooded guy take her - either way she would have been out of his hair permanently.

"Look witch," Damon sneered as he took a step forward. "I may have saved your life earlier, but your testing how quickly I can take it from you. Now shut up before I regret ever having made a truce with you."

"Screw you."

"Just name the time and place, honey." Damon gave a cocky smile before taking a step back, going for his drink again. Bonnie let out a sound of disgust before turning her attention back over towards Elena. Stefan stood with his hands on his hips and head hanging low. He knew that this kind of dysfunction between his brother and Bonnie would only prove disastrous in the long run. These two had to learn to get along with one another. Just then Elena stood up and hurriedly made her way over towards her boyfriend.

"Stefan can I talk to you for a moment please?" she asked the man. Stefan looked up at Elena and then over at Bonnie and Damon. He shook his head lightly and started to make his way into the kitchen with Elena close-by, leaving Bonnie and Damon in the living room alone.

It was silent. Uncomfortably silent. Neither of them tried to make an effort to look at one another, and to be quite honest, they didn't care. If only most of their interactions went this way, maybe they'd learn to get along much better. Maybe.

"What's your problem?" Damon finally asked before narrowing his eyes and strolling over towards Bonnie with his glass of bourbon in hand, water dripping from his still drenched clothes. "I take the time out to save your life…you thank me…then you act like a total bitch to me again." He took a quick sip from his glass as he glared down at the reserved woman. Her head was turned towards the fireplace while holding herself under the blanket.

"I told you already," Bonnie finally decided to respond after a few seconds of silence, "Just because you saved me doesn't mean I have to like or trust you." Damon scoffed at the woman's comment.

"Then wouldn't that defeat the purpose of this little truce we have between us?" he asked. The woman continued not to acknowledge him. "I mean, if we're going to be forced to work together, aren't we going to have to at least trust one another."

"Not necessarily." Damon grimaced at the woman's response. "I know the only reason you kept me safe was because you need to use me for whatever reason you have. Besides, Elena would never forgive you if anything _did_ happen to me." The man narrowed his eyes at the woman and gave a challenging grin.

"What makes you think I'm doing this for Elena?" He asked.

"Please, Damon. It's so obvious it's painful." The man watched as the woman finally turned her head to meet his serious blue eyes with her lucid green ones. "You're in love with Elena; Everybody sees it including Stefan. Everything that you've done has been for love…for her. So don't stand there and act like you saved me from that river out of the goodness of your heart, because I know that deep down you did it for Elena. You figured that saving me would be important to her, so you bit the bullet and jumped in the water."

Damon was silent for a moment as he stood there looking down at the brown skinned woman. The fireplace's orange glowing bouncing off her silky skin. The man took another sip from his glass and looked down at the ground, knowing that every word the woman spoke was true. Obviously his assumption about his feelings towards Elena were fact; everybody saw it but Ms. Gilbert herself. Even the witch saw it (though she had always been the judgey type). Slowly making his way over to a single leather comforter, Damon flopped down in his seat and slouched low, his arms dangling over the sides of the chair's arms. He barely held on to the edge of the bourbon filled glass with the tips of his fingertips, using his vampire speed to grasp it tightly whenever it felt as if though it would fall to the ground.

"So you've just got all the answers, don't you?" Damon asked which caused the young woman to turn her head back towards the fireplace. "No…don't cower away now, you're doing so well psychoanalyzing me. Tell me, what other aspects about myself that I'm _so_ clearly unaware of do you pick up on?"

"Fuck you, Damon." Bonnie whispered under her breath. "Don't take your frustrations out on me because you don't know how to handle the truth."

"Oh, much like you taking your frustrations out on me because you feel everything that's bad in your perfect little world is my fault?" Bonnie was silent. "Lets not forget that almost Bar-B-Q back at the carousel."

"Doesn't' mean you didn't deserve it."

"And who are you to make the judgment calls around here? I don't see you getting this upset with Stefan or Elena about the whole tomb incident. Remember that it wasn't just me who wanted to open it." Bonnie went silent again. Sure nothing he said would ever justify his actions up to that point, but he did make solid sense in stating that blame could easily be placed on anybody as opposed to just him. "If you persist on blaming me then you better damn well be ready to blame yourself as well. I'm not the enemy here."

"Damon I don't know what to tell ya," Bonnie retorted with a shrug of her shoulders. "You've done too many things in the past that makes the impending future look grim. How could I possibly trust you with all the bad history between us?" Damon was now silent. He had nothing to add on top of the woman's question and could honestly find no explanation to give at the moment. In a lot of ways, Damon was becoming the very thing he was growing to hate. The very being that he had dedicated his life to…

Katherine.

The thought itself made the man shiver against his will, forcing his eyes to narrow and his chest to bellow out a low growl. It was no surprise to Damon why Bonnie's disdain towards him (among other things) was so understandable. Though whether the two would remain enemies for eternity, there was no denying that he needed to gain the trust of the woman for him to exceed his goals in the long run. Truth of the matter was he'd be unable to do anything without the aid of a witch on his side. So he did what he thought he needed to do in order for her to see he wasn't all "bad" (at least, not entirely).

"I'm sorry," The words came out somewhat rough, and the gravely voice that carried it prevented the apology from being sincere. Regardless, it caught the attention of Bonnie.

"What?" she asked dubiously.

"I said…" Damon began to repeat, trying his damnest to hide the irritation within him, "…I'm sorry." Bonnie couldn't help but to scoot back towards the couch, trying to brace herself for whatever words would follow his sudden apology.

"Sorry…for what?" The witch's green eyes never left his as she searched for the truth within him. The man met with her eyes as he dropped his glass of bourbon on the ground and proceeded to lean forward towards the woman.

"I'm sorry…for everything." His words were more sincere this time, with no hint of irritation or rehearsed tempo behind them. "I see now that if we're going to have any chance of bringing down Katherine, the hooded couple, and quite possibly Mason…we're going to have to start trusting each other."

"Is that a fact?" Bonnie asked, still cautious to let her guard down so easily.

"Look, I'm trying to do the "_right_" thing here…don't let me regret it."

"You sure Elena doesn't have any input to this sudden change of heart towards me?" Damon narrowed his eyes.

"I gain nothing from Elena by liking you…per sa. This is from my own accord. You either accept my apology or not, I could really care less. But I'd appreciate it if you'd at least _try _to trust me from here on out." Bonnie sat in her seat silent, looking at the vampire whom was asking for her trust in him. She wanted to, if just to end the conversation and play it by ear from then. But her gut was telling her that this was all just some type of elaborate trap of his.

"I know that you're just using this trust thing as a means of using me in the long run." Somewhat true. "So excuse me if I'm not so willing to join Team Damon." The man let out a hearty sigh. She obviously read him like a book to understand the very corners of his personality so precisely.

"Bonnie," Damon opted in calling the woman by her name this time. The woman had to admit that hearing her name coming from the man's voice made her heart skip a beat in surprise. She'd never heard her name come from that voice before - not in the sincere way it did. "I'm not asking for friendship…I'm not even asking for your full forgiveness for all the shit I've done to you in the past." The young witch arched an eyebrow. "The truth is that I can't accomplish anything if I don't have someone like you by my side…a witch to be exact. You said you needed assistance in keeping Mystic Falls safe, we'll I'm lending a helping hand, even if it does go against my nature to be so helpful. All I'm asking for is your trust. I assure you, it's not the bourbon talking…it's Damon Salvatore."

The Bennett witch was silent as she sat there looking at Damon with soft yet cautious eyes. She'd never given this much thought when Damon was involved. For a moment she wanted to tell the man to go fuck himself, but a nagging voice in her head was telling her to consider the possibility that Damon was actually trying to do the right thing for once. And maybe (just maybe) gaining her trust would be the start of a new dynamic between the two of them. Maybe something more cordial.

Fat chance…but it was worth a shot.

"Okay; I accept your apology…and I'll lend you my trust." Bonnie immediately raised up a finger as soon as the smirk on Damon's face began to stretch on one side of his face. "Under one condition though."

Feeling more confident in himself and not as irritated as before, Damon sat up in his chair and shrugged his shoulders, "Name it."

"Under no circumstances are you ever allowed to go into my house…ever." The man arched an eyebrow and dismissed the woman's demand.

"Is that it?" Damon asked with a half-cocked attitude. "Cause if so, you've got yourself a deal."

Suddenly the air around the two didn't seem so thick and the atmosphere more tolerable. Bonnie could honestly say that she looked forward to her father coming home the following evening. Damon sat there staring at the witch with his smirk still attached to his face. The woman, however, still kept her face stoned and unwilling to showcase a hint of emotion. She'd go so far as to say she trusted Damon Salvatore under the circumstances…but reservations were still obviously present. Just then Stefan and Elena made their way back in from the kitchen hand in hand, both of them looking at Damon and Bonnie.

"Okay," Stefan started, "So Elena and I were talking, and we realized just how much of a problem it may have been to have you two working together while we try to make sense of all the craziness around town. Thus I decided…well, rather, we decided," he waved a hand between Elena and himself to further emphasize his point, "That we should switch things up a bit. So Bonnie, you'll have me to work with while Elena will have…Damon." The apparent hesitation in Stefan's comment when saying his brother's name only brought on a twitching smile on the older Salvatore's face. Damon could instantly tell that neither Stefan or Elena really wanted this exchange to happen (especially Stefan). Turning his sights over to Bonnie, he could tell right off the bat that the woman's mind was somewhere else at the moment. Her eyes were hollow and staring at nothing in particular. It was so obvious that she held on to the thought of the evening's early happenings and the growing concern for her father may have very well escalated weary emotions.

Now it wasn't Damon's natural instinct to turn down the opportunity of being with Elena at any given moment, even if that present moment meant risking the witch's life in his younger brother's hands. But it didn't make sense to have such a weak vampire such as Stefan trying to protect an amateur witch like Bonnie Bennett. Besides, the only plausible threat towards Elena was Katherine, but her motives were more so focused on obtaining the Moonstone. Thus if he made the effort of actually showing that he would protect somebody as important as Bonnie to Elena, than maybe it would work out all the better. Granted, he was going to hate having to constantly bicker with the judgmental, holier-than-thou witch…but it was a sacrifice he'd be willing to make in the long run.

"No…" Damon spoke up as he stood from his chair and placed his hands on his hips. "…You're not in any position to protecting a witch, especially a Bennett witch." Stefan narrowed his eyes in confusion as he let go of Elena's hand to take a step forward.

"Look I know that would make more sense for you to take Bonnie under your wing," - Damon scoffed at the comment - "But you two clearly don't get along with each other, which could only lead to disaster in the long run. You've both tried to kill each other, neither one of you have tried in the slightest to make nice, and the trust issue is off the charts."

"Poor, pathetic, typical little brother; if you had been here a second ago you would know that me and the little witc-" Damon cut his sentence short and cleared his voice before continuing, "…I mean Bonnie, have come to an understanding of sorts. Surely we won't be BFFs anytime soon, but at least now we've grown some sort of trust with one another." It was Elena who stepped up this time, pulling strains of her hair back as she went to sit by her silent friend.

"Really, Bonnie?" Elena asked, almost doubtful of the man's words. "I mean…you're alright with the idea of spending time alone with Damon?" Bonnie focused her attention on her best friend and gazed into concerned chocolate colored eyes.

"I'd be selfish to take Stefan away from you during these moments," Bonnie simply stated. Elena immediately grabbed hold of the witch's hands and squeezed.

"Bonnie…you wouldn't be taking away anything from me. All I'm concerned about is your safety." The caramel skinned woman did nothing but smile at her friend. She missed the heart-to-heart moments she use to have with the young girl…before vampires got in the picture anyway.

"What I learned after Grams' passing is that you shouldn't take for granted the times you spend with the ones you love. Share these moment with Stefan…don't let me get in the way of that, please." The room was silent and atmosphere had grown thick again, but it was the look of warning that Elena gave which brought life back into the moment.

"You take care of her or you'll have me to deal with." Damon only smirked at Elena's warning but acknowledged her threat with a slight nod. Shortly after the exchange, Stefan released a loud sigh and continued on with his speech.

"Alright, so this is how things are going to work out; Alaric is going to be over at Jenna's house keeping constant surveillance, while Jeremy and Caroline keep tabs on Tyler and Mason respectively. I'll be with Elena trying to search for this Moonstone and keeping an eye out for Katherine. Damon, you'll keep over Bonnie and see if either of you can dig up some information on these hooded folks." They all looked at one another, reminded of how serious the situation was and how important it would be to keep each other safe. Stefan focused his attention on Bonnie and furrowed his eyes. "Bonnie, when your father comes home tomorrow evening you're going to have to try and convince him to allow you to spend the night at Elena's house for at least a week. Suffice to say, you will really be staying here with me, Elena, and Damon that whole time."

Bonnie was silent as she narrowed her eyes. She wasn't sure if she was comfortable with the idea of staying a whole week in a creepy mansion with two vampires (one she just recently fooled herself into trusting). But having Elena there was somewhat reassuring, plus she was positive that Stefan would never let anything bad happen to her (or at least she hoped he wouldn't).

"Alright…I'll see what I can come up with," Bonnie responded with a nod of her head. "Of course it won't be easy with my car being totally totaled and-"

"We've got that covered." Stefan interrupted the woman with a small smile. "In the meantime, you should get some rest right now. We'll get up early in the morning to make sure you're home before Mr. Bennett arrives." The woman merely nodded as she held onto Elena's hand tightly. Turning his attention once more to Damon, Stefan spoke, "Are you sure you can handle this?"

"I've kept the Bennett witches safe before…I can do it again." With that Damon started to make his way to the grand staircase that lead up to his room, but not before he pulled off his soaked black t-shirt which revealed his muscular physique dripping with excess water. "See you tomorrow, Bon Bon." Damon called out as he reached the top of the stairs. Despite the pleasantry of the man's body, and the way the water seemed to make every muscle pop out in 3D…Bonnie could only see a vampire up to no good. A man willing to use anyone to get what he wanted. But it was too late to turn back now. Even if this was a bad decision to make, Bonnie knew that she had to work with Damon for the time being if anything significant were to be accomplished.

She'd have to trust her instincts…

…trust the plan…

…trust him.

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**Well, was it worth the wait? I wanted to get more intimate conversation between the two as opposed to the constant bickering (though that will return from time to time). Anyhoo, leave you comments and let me know what you thought. Thnx for reading! :)**


	11. Help

**So as usual...I've got to let all the readers/commentators out there know just how awesome you are for your endless feedback and support of this story. I really didn't think RIACW would get that much positive feedback the way it did (mostly because I was skeptical on how I would do my first time making a Fanfic), but you've all helped to keep my interest in the story fresh and lively. My muse is overflowing with ideas and plot-twists because you've all been such an inspiration to the molding of this fic. With that said, I want you all to know that I do take everything you say into consideration (be it good or bad, I accept either) and I try my hardest to try and incorporate ideas you may have into the story. This is after all a fanfic, and my main goal is to appease you, fans of TVD. So if you want to see more action, tell me and I'll try to incorporate it. More romance? I'll see what I can do to move it along more swiftly. Whatever you want to see more of, let me know.**

**Unless of course you like the story the way it is and you want me to surprise you, lmao :P**

**Either way, enjoy this next lengthy chapter in my story that will start to explore more aspects in the Bonnie/Damon relationship. Things are getting hot, but not with whom you'd expect. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 11 - Help**

Bonnie Bennett would not have been able to sleep all night if she didn't have the aid of her friend, Elena Gilbert, beside her on the uncomfortable couch with her. Both woman slept side by side to each other until the early morning of the next day, the once blazing fireplace parallel to them nothing but a smoky memory. Bonnie was the first to awaken that morning to the sight of Stefan Salvatore already dressed and ready to take the young woman home. The Bennett witch carefully removed herself from the couch as to not awaken Elena and followed the young man out of the mansion to his car.

The drive to her home was a quiet one. Of course she had expected Stefan to question her confidence in teaming up with Damon amidst all the chaos, and of course she would remind the man not to worry about her positive decision. Was Bonnie herself positive about the decision she had made the previous night?

Not at all.

But alas, it was indeed too late to turn back on her word now. She made a vow and she was going to stick by it no matter how uncomfortable it may have made her feel. The town of Mystic Falls was under attack from supernatural forces and nobody, including the Founder's Council, had any idea of what was going on. Once Stefan had pulled in front of Bonnie's home, both she and the vampires exchanged goodbyes before she hopped out to reach the porch steps of her front door. Stefan waited until the woman was completely inside her home before driving back in the direction of the mansion which was currently occupied with Elena and Damon. Bonnie could really see the appeal in a guy (or rather vampire) like Stefan Salvatore. It didn't make sense before but now it did; Stefan was more human than most _real_ humans and that was what probably drew Elena to the man in the first place. She wasn't sure if she'd be so brave as to continue a relationship with him after learning he was a vampire…but then again she was a witch. Not that much room for her to judge.

Upon entering her home, Bonnie took a second to glance around at all of the furnishings within eyesight. It was funny how even after all that happened to her in the span of a couple of months she still took some of the simple things for granted. But she knew that everything that she was doing had a purpose to it. Staying a week away from her father would mean that he'd be safe…or at least she hoped it meant that. The last thing she would want is for her father to be an open target for those hooded individuals to take a stab at in an attempt to single her out for whatever reason. The young witch tried to remember a time where hooded figures may have appeared in her time-line…but alas nothing rang familiar about the couple. Bonnie rested the back of her head on the oak door and closed her eyes, trying not to stress too much on the situations at hand.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

The thumping vibration of the door the young woman was leaning on caused her to jump forward in surprise and let out a gasp of fear. With eyes wide and her heart beating out of her chest, Bonnie swung around to stare at the giant door before her. There was no doubt in her mind that whomever was knocking on the door were probably wearing dark clothes and a hoodie jacket. She went for her pockets in an attempt to pull out her cell phone to call for help, but immediately came to the realization that she had left her cell phone in blue Hybrid that was currently on the side of the road along with her purse and other possessions.

"Shit," she whispered to herself.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

"Bonnie!" A familiar voice echoed from behind the door. The young witch narrowed her eyes and found herself not as nervous from before. "Bonnie! Come on, you gotta be home. Please open up!"

"Tyler?" The woman uttered the man's name aloud with a shake of her head, unsure as to why the young man was banging on her door this morning. "Tyler, what the hell are you doing here?" she asked defensively.

"I could be asking you the same question," the man snapped back despite that fact his voice appeared muffled to Bonnie. "I called you all day yesterday but I got no answer. I was going to try and talk to you today at school, but you weren't there." Bonnie gave a confused look. Why was he so adamant about seeing her? "Look…I…I was worried. I needed to talk to you, but you weren't anywhere to be found. The last time I saw you, you had stormed out of the Mystic Grill. I figured something bad must have happened since then…I had to be sure."

Bonnie was silent as she cut her eyes down towards the ground, unsure why the man's words were having such an impact on her. Maybe it was the clarification of somebody actually taking an interest in her safety. But then again, like most of the people in her life, Bonnie was only a person of interest when she could be used for something beneficial to another. Take Damon Salvatore for example. The woman was no fool - she knew that Damon had ulterior motives for wanting to team up with her, she just didn't know for what reason…yet. Taking a couple steps forward towards the front door, the young witch was having a hard time deciding whether or not it would be wise to open the door for Tyler.

"What do you want, Tyler?" Bonnie asked on the other side of the door, her tone still very defensive.

"I need your help." The man's voice was pleading but the woman was still not convinced. "Please open the door."

"Help with what?"

"With this werewolf thing…I need a witch like you." Bonnie stood her ground in front of the door, teeth clenched and anger fuming. The more she listened to the man, the angrier she got at him for being deceitful and manipulative and an all out liar.

"You lied to me," the woman reminded the man between gritted teeth, "All this time I thought you were really trying to make a change and be a good friend, but you were just using me to gain something for yourself."

"That's not true!" Tyler shouted back from the opposing side of the door. "I needed your help, yes…but Bonnie, I would never try to hurt you. It's just not easy opening up to people about this thing going on with me, especially when I have nobody to talk to about it." Bonnie was silent. She could honestly say she understood the feeling. Her father was a man who constantly downgraded witchcraft as nothing but a bunch of baloney, which left the young woman with nobody to talk to as far as that part of her life was concerned. "You know what it's like, don't you?" Tyler asked the woman, taking notice of her silence. "The emotional baggage that just sits inside of you because you have nobody to share it with. The realization that there is nobody to talk to you about the changes you're going through." The woman fought back tears as she held herself tightly, already regretting her planned decision to opening the door for the pathetic man on her porch.

Bonnie reached out with her hand and began to unlock her front door, coming face to face with a sad-eyed Tyler Lockwood.

"…thanks." he muttered out, somewhat embarrassed by his earlier outburst.

"You have five minutes," Bonnie warned as she stepped to the side for Tyler to come inside her home. "After that you have to go. No offense but…I've had my share of personal conversations this week. "

"Five minutes is all I need," Tyler whispered back, taking a seat on the couch that the young woman motioned towards with her hand.

"So what do you need my help with, Ty?"

"I need you to find a spell that can help subside the pain when someone transforms into a werewolf." The young witch felt her heart drop. She had no idea that transforming was a painful process to go through when becoming a wolf.

"Does it hurt when you transform?" she asked, her tone more concerned than cautious this time. Tyler was silent as he shifted his eyes towards the woman's kitchen. He swallowed the lump in his throat before opening his mouth to speak again.

"It's not for me…it's for my uncle."

"Mason?" The question almost came out as a shriek. Tyler turned his eyes back to Bonnie and frowned. "You've been doing all this lying and scheming for him? Why would I just conjure up a spell for him and not for you?"

"Because I'm not a werewolf yet…not until I kill somebody." Tyler noticed Bonnie's body immediately tense up and was quick to reassure the woman. "I'm not going to kill anybody, Bonnie. But if I did, even by accident, it will trigger the werewolf gene inside of me. I don't want that. I don't want to have to go through the same agonizing pain my uncle goes through every full moon that passes. Obviously there's nothing I can do to lift the curse, but if I can grant my uncle some type of ease with all of this…some type of reprieve…" He stopped talking to turn his head away. The glare in his eyes were evidence that he was about to cry, and Bonnie couldn't help but feel some form of sympathy towards him.

"Tyler…" At first hesitant, Bonnie found the courage to reach out and touch the man's shoulder with her delicate fingers. "…I'm sorry. I know it must be hard to see somebody you love go through so much pain by themselves."

"I'm not looking for a miracle, Bonnie. I just want to make sure that I've done everything humanly possible to set things right. Even if I'm not really human anymore." Bonnie wanted to help Tyler with his dilemma, she honest to God did. But there was the issue of both him and his uncle Mason being apart of some of the strange happenings in Mystic Falls, and she couldn't ignore that. If Tyler indeed was telling the truth, she'd help with the issue that befell up him and Mason. But if this was indeed all a trick of some sort, the woman wanted to be prepared for any surprises the man may throw her way. For the time being though, she'd just have to play along.

"I'll admit that I haven't come across any spells involving werewolves directly," the witch responded honestly before taking notice of the disappointed look on the man's face. She immediately placed a hand on top of his out of habit, leaning closer to meet him eye to eye. "Hey, listen…I'm going to try to do everything humanely possible to help you out. Even if _I'm_ not really human anymore." Bonnie's smile widened when she saw a glint of hope in the man's eyes, hoping that this plead for help was indeed a real one.

"Thank you, Bon." Tyler whispered out as he locked eyes with the woman for a couple idle seconds, subtly leaning in closer for a kiss. Bonnie could see the man get closer and closer with ever second that passed, but immediately pulled herself back before their lips could properly meet.

"Tyler…I…" she muttered before she heard the handle to her front door being jingled. The woman shot up from the couch and focused her attention on the individual who was beginning to make their way inside her house. "Daddy!" she cried out, flustered and nervous at the same. The realization of who was now present in the house caused Tyler to shot up from the couch as well, looking across the room at Bonnie's father in fear.

"H-Hello, Mr. Bennett." Tyler greeted the black olive skinned man who stood a towering 6 feet tall. Mr. Bennett stared at both Bonnie and Tyler with a disapproving glance, the luggage in his hands and under his arms suddenly dropping to the ground in a large THUD. Both teenagers nearly jumped out of their skins in fright (especially Bonnie). "Umm…I think I better get going." The Lockwood boy hurried through the living room and sprinted out of the front door, Mr. Bennett's eyes never leaving sight of him. When Tyler was indeed out of sight, Mr. Bennett slammed the door behind him and gave Bonnie a scolding look which could have melted the skin off of her body then and there.

"I told you…no boys in this house…ever." His tone was that of a true disciplinarian. The young woman found the courage to make her way in front of her father and look up at him in the eyes.

"Technically you said no boys upstairs," Bonnie responded before trying to forge a smile on her face to lighten the situation.

"Don't sass me, girl." Mr. Bennett snapped back before making his way past his daughter and going straight for the living room to stretch out on his couch. "You know the rules of this house, and you know the consequences that come with breaking them. I didn't want to have to come back home and be a warden, but I see that you've still got a lot to learn about responsibilities around here." The young woman could do nothing but stand there and give a disappointed shake of her head, still dubious to the fact that her father was so quick to judge her for doing nothing wrong. If anything, she proved to herself that she was able to not let things out of control with Tyler…didn't that count for anything?

"You're acting like we were having sex or something," Bonnie shot back at her father. "All we were doing was talking. That's it. Nothing happened and nothing will ever happen. God, I'd swear you'd rather keep a camera crew around me 24/7 just to ensure I'm keeping up to date with your endless list of demands."

"Watch your tone, Bonnie Bennett." Mr. Bennett warned, pointing a finger at the young woman while he laid down on the couch. "You may be entitled to your opinion once and a while, but I am still your father and thus I will receive the respect of one. And while you're living under my roof you will abide by my rules. Understand?" The woman couldn't help but perch her lips together and cross her arms over her chest, feeling tears making their way down her cheeks.

"Does it always have to be this way, Dad?" Bonnie asked her tired father. Wiping tears from her eyes, she began to wave her hands uncontrollably in front of her with ever word she spoke to better emphasize her point. "You leaving me here by myself for an entire week with nobody, only to come back home and get on my case about ever little thing that I do? I'm tired of it! I'm tired of being treated like a child and you not seeing the bigger picture."

"You know what I see right now?" Mr. Bennett question, sitting up from the couch and furrowing his eyes at the young woman in front of him. "I see a girl that's grounded for the next two weeks until she learns to get her act together." Bonnie's eyes immediately shot open. She couldn't believe that her father would stoop so low to cease an argument by grounding her…especially when she needed the present week free from home to ensure _his_ safety.

"Dad, you can't be serious!" The witch shrieked, "You can't ground me for two weeks for doing nothing wrong. Besides I've got something very important to do this week with Elena."

"Well you should have thought about that before you started letting boys come in this house when told not to."

"Dad!"

"Bonnie!" Mr. Bennett shot up from the couch to glare down at his daughter with eyes of fury. "This conversation is over. You are grounded and that's the end of it…understand?" There was silence between the two of them, especially with Bonnie who barely breathed. "Understand?" he repeated more harshly.

"…understood."

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

Mr. Bennett turned his head in the direction of the front door that was being knocked, but Bonnie's furious glare never left her father. It seemed like nobody cared to hear her side of the story involving anything anymore…and she was getting tired of it.

"Get the door, Bonnie," Mr. Bennett said softly before dropping back down on the couch and closing his eyes to rest some more. "If it's one of your friends, tell them you can't have any visitors until your punishment has been lifted." It took a couple idle seconds for the woman to fight back the urge to challenge her father and prolong the argument even further, but the continuous knocking on the door forced her to obey the order she was given. Without bothering to ask whom was knocking on the door, Bonnie swung the front door open and had to stop herself from gasping aloud.

The figure that stood in front of her was carrying her purse in one hand and going through her phone with the other.

"You certainly don't have a lot of friends, do you?" Damon's snaky comment was not something Bonnie was in the mood for at the moment. Reaching out and snatching her purse and cell phone away from the vampire, the young woman looked through her belongings to make sure everything was in it's proper place. "Do you really think I'd stoop myself so low as to steal something from _you_?"

"You've stolen everything else from me, what's a couple more knick-knacks?" she retorted bitterly. Damon only gave one of his snobby smirks and rolled his eyes. "What do you want?" she asked before looking up from her purse to glance at the man in front of her.

"I came here to drop off your stuff…and your welcome."

"Splendid, anything else?" The woman's tone was flat but Damon caught sight of something else as he leaned in to closely to observe her face. His ocean blue eyes locked with her eyes intensely.

"Have you been crying?" he asked curiously, almost with a laugh. Bonnie froze where she stood in an attempt not to show any sign that she had been. The vampire only grinned as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Y'know you're saying an awful lot by not saying anything at all." Bonnie shifted her eyes from one side of the door to the next, not at all in the mood to be psychoanalyzed by the man. Suddenly the grin on the man's face started to slowly diminish when he didn't get the expected insult from the judgey witch. "What's wrong?" Damon asked, looking the woman up and down with curious eyes.

"Nothing…I…it's just going to be harder to get out of this house for the next week considering my father just grounded me for two more."

"Well that's a colossal fuck-up in the plan," Damon responded with a somewhat disappointed tone. The two stood there looking at each other until Bonnie finally came across a thought that she should have had erased from her mind permanently. It would somewhat make her a hypocrite and go against everything that she believed in…but times were desperate. Besides the argument she recently shared with her father only made the decision that much easier to make.

"Compel him," the woman ordered in a whisper to Damon. The vampire narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"Excuse me?" he asked with a low voice.

"You heard me. Look, my father is a stubborn guy and the only way I'll be able to get out of this house is if you compel him; make him believe he gave me permission to go." Bonnie watched Damon as he strolled over to the side of the door-frame, leaning against it and giving a sinister smile. He was obviously enjoying this turn of events way too much for his own good, but the woman couldn't concern herself with his ignorance at the moment.

"Who's at the door, Bonnie?" Mr. Bennett called out to his daughter from the couch. Bonnie snapped her head in the direction of her father and responded almost too quickly.

"Just girl scouts, Dad," Bonnie responded back which brought on a sour look from Damon. Turning her attention to the leather jacket wearing vampire, Bonnie stepped outside on the porch with the vampire and spoke softly so that her father could not pick up on her conversation. "Damon…I'm not asking a lot. In fact, if anything, I'm just asking you to be your normal, ruthless, sneaky, evil self."

"No, stop…you're making me blush." Damon's sarcastic comment came out flat and obviously unamused by the woman's thoughts of him. "Besides what's in it for me?"

"Are you fucking serious?" Bonnie asked rather loudly, having to catch herself in the midst of her comment. She took a quick look back inside of the house to make sure her father didn't hear her inappropriate outburst. "What's in it for you?" she repeated the man's question a lot softer in disbelief. "How about you need _me _to help stop all this madness in Mystic Falls?"

"Not good enough." The man raised a hand up to his face and proceed to pick away at the dirt underneath his nails. Bonnie stood her ground, fuming in anger and trying hard to keep defiant tears from rolling down her cheeks.

"Damon…please," Bonnie was trying not to get emotional in front of the man. But with Tyler, her father, and all the responsibilities of the town resting on her shoulders, the young witch was having a hard time digesting a lot of the present madness. "I don't want to be here," she simply put it, "I thought I did when I returned home from the mansion. But it seems like no matter where I go and what I do…home hurts me the most." Damon perched his lips together and shifted his eyes down towards the ground, conflicted feelings rolling around inside of him. "Please…Damon…I can't stay here." The man was silent for some idle seconds, not allowing himself to make direct eye contact with the woman no matter how hard she tried to make the connection.

"What about your vision?" he asked the woman, almost warning. Bonnie swallowed the knot stuck in her throat.

"I guess I'll have to trust you won't hurt him," the woman responded. It went silent between the two of them again, both in a duel which involved their eyes. Never had the couple had an encounter so intense and serious. Finally deciding to push himself off of the door-frame, Damon took a look inside the woman's house and spoke firmly.

"Grab whatever you need for the week then bring it back to my car." Bonnie wasn't sure as to why, but a huge sigh of relief released from within her. Never did she think she'd be so appreciative of Damon and his vampire abilities. Sure, not a week ago she was ready to set the man on fire for doing the very thing she was now asking him to do…but the witch found this moment to be more than justifiable. Turning on her heels and preparing to reenter her home, a hard grip wrapped itself around Bonnie's wrist which forced the young woman to turn her attention back towards Damon. "Are we forgetting something?" The man question came with a mischievous smile. Bonnie was utterly confused about what the man was driving at, made evident by the shrugging of her shoulders. "I'm not allowed in your home, remember?" Bonnie merely narrowed her eyes and sniffed her nose as a result to her crying fit from earlier.

"I'll make this one exception," she responded.

"I'm not allowed in your home…ever." Damon egged on the woman's previous threat.

"Damon…" Bonnie began to warn Damon before he let go of the girl's wrist and lightly shoved his way into her home, stepping over Mr. Bennett's luggage.

"Don't forget the Grimoire," Damon reminded the witch before she made her way all the way up her stairs into her bedroom. She immediately went for her suitcase and started shoving in whatever clothes she could get her hands on. Her personal hygiene products came next which was followed by her trusty Grimoire; after that she dragged all her belongings down the stairs with her just in time to see Damon making his way from her father who was still present on the couch. The vampire helped assist the woman with her luggage while she held her Grimoire tightly within her arms.

"What did you do?" Bonnie asked concerned while she followed the vampire towards his car, closing her front door behind her. When the two reached Damon's Chevy Camaro, he opened the backseat door to his car and practically threw the girl's luggage inside.

"I did what you told me to do," he retorted back in a snippy sort of way. His lukewarm attitude from earlier was a complete departure to the somewhat bitter attitude he was having now. The woman couldn't help but frown at the man's sudden personality switch and found herself needing to question it.

"I know you're not upset for doing what you did?" Bonnie asked confused. The man slammed his door shut and went to open the front passenger door where Bonnie would be sitting. He was silent for a moment which prompted the woman to believe that he would not be answering her previous question. Once the woman was securely inside of the vehicle, Damon finally decided to speak up again.

"Why didn't you tell me Tyler Lockwood was here?" The witch looked over at the vampire who leaned against his car hood waiting for an answer.

"How'd you know he was here?" Bonnie asked shocked at the man's observation. "What were you…were you spying on me?" Damon scoffed at the woman's accusation and proceeded to close her door. Almost a split second later he was swinging open the driver's side door and sitting right beside the young woman. Vampire speed was something Bonnie had to get use to for it caused her to gasp in surprise at the sudden appearance of the chiseled face man next to her.

"Don't flatter yourself," Damon retorted before starting the ignition of his car and slowly rolling out onto the street. "I can smell wet dog up and down that ugly ass couch of yours. And something tells me that you haven't got any Pound Puppies running around your house…so I know it was either Mason or Tyler. I'd bet it was the latter."

"Look I know I'm not suppose to really be associating with either Tyler or Mason, but you didn't see the look on Tyler's face. He was sad, desperate, and just downright depressing."

"You do realize you just described Stefan, right?" Bonnie wasn't sure why, but the comment caused her to let out a chuckle, though she masked it with a cough. "Besides, those Lockwoods will do anything to get what they want. Trust me, I was there when they started rounding vampires up for the picking."

"So?"

"So, if you keep flaunting yourself around Teen Wolf, you're only going to make my job protecting you harder. And quite frankly my dear, I'm not in the mood to pull you from any more raging rivers. That water completely fucked up my clothes and hair." The man's voice was a bit harsh and his testament embedded in the woman's head. Surely the woman was not one to take orders from a vampire (especially if that vampire was Damon Salvatore). But…considering what he had just done, she could at least pretend to take heed of his words.

"Fine," she simply said. Damon took a second to look over at the woman with weary eyes, thinking that was too easy of a feat against the witch.

"Seriously, that's it? No witty remark or sarcastic banter to throw my way?"

"You did me a favor, so the least I can do is not remind you of how much of a jackass you." Bonnie saw through her peripheral vision a grin spreading across the man's face as he drove speedily on the road. "Besides…I don't have much to say right now."

"There's a quality I can get use to," the man teased. Bonnie merely ignored the comment and leaned her head against the window of the Chevy, her eyes watching the trees pass by at neck-breaking speeds. She clutched the Grimoire even tighter against her chest as she began to regret the decision of allowing Damon to compel her father. Why would she allow for such an act to pass? Was she that angry with her father that she let her emotions cloud her better judgment? Another tear began to find its way down the woman's cheek. The vampire sitting beside her took notice of the tear and let out a sigh. "You know you had to do it." Damon spoke up as he traded glances between the road and the sulking witch. "If you hadn't, you would've risked that hooded couple finding out where you live and putting your father in danger."

"What do you care anyway? It wasn't too long ago that you were about have my father slit his throat open." Damon was silent as he drove the long stretch of road towards his mansion. He could tell that the woman was more pissed at herself for the decision she made to compel her father, as opposed to her being completely pissed with him for doing it. Thus he kept quiet and allowed the woman to bask in her own self-pity. "…Damon." Bonnie's voice was faint and her eyes still fought back more tears. The man clenched his jaw, not wanting to hear anymore bitching from the woman.

"What?" he snapped quite angrily.

"Thank you…again." Damon felt himself wanting to tell the woman to take her gratitude and shove it up her ass. But even he couldn't beat a horse when it was down (at least, not now he couldn't). Besides, he'd rather somebody in tip-top form to trade insults with. This Stefan-like brooding act wasn't doing it for him. Just the same, Damon responded back the nicest way possible:

"Your welcome…I guess."

Bonnie slowly began to close her eyes and tried not to let the pressure of the upcoming Hell-week get to head. She knew that the events to come would be some of the hardest days she'd have to encounter. However it was nice to know if ever there was a time she needed help from somebody, Damon would most likely be there to lend a helping hand…and so would she.

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**So there you go...more layers of hate begin to slowly peel off between the couple, but at what price? Also, take note that Mr. Bennett will be making more than a couple appearances throughout the rest of this story. Things are indeed getting more intriguing. Thnx for reading :)**


	12. Opening Up

**Do I really have to remind all of you how awesome you all are? I mean, really? lol **

**Thnk you all for feedback on the last chapter and I'm glad to see that most are appreciative of the steady pace in which this relationship is going. Thus because of this, I went ahead and redid a lot of the upcoming chapters and added some bits of action within them so they won't be too much like filler chapters. I'm also impressed by how some of you are so perceptive with how things will play out in this story and what character plays what role. I won't give any details in fear of ruining the surprise for anyone (unless you go searching for the answers) but I will say that this Chapter was extremely fun to write. Prepare for the interesting ending at the end. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 12 - Opening Up**

_RIIIIIIIIINNNNGGGGG_!

The school bell rang loudly, signaling students all around to remove themselves from their desks so they could go home and neglect their homework assignments. Unfortunately for one Bonnie Bennett, her after school activities involved scouting out forests for supernatural beings, mythical relics, and possible dead bodies. Not only that, but she had to have constant surveillance kept on her in the event that a couple of hooded killers would kidnap her for reasons still unknown. At the very least she could admit to herself that the idea of Damon Salvatore somewhere stalking the school grounds watching out for her was both creepy and comforting at the same time. And even though it would have been nice to have a sweeter guy like Stefan Salvatore watching after her, it oddly made more sense to have somebody as strong and cutthroat like the dark-haired, blue-eyed Damon aiding her safety. Granted she still found traits of the man revolting and downright irritating, but she (for the time being) just had to deal with all of the bad he seemingly had inside of him.

Collecting her belongings and standing up from her ridiculously small desk, Bonnie slowly made her way out of her classroom and prepared to take an agonizing trip to the student parking lot where Damon said he'd be waiting for her after school. The day prior was still tough for her to digest completely; her having the vampire erase Mr. Bennett's recent memory in a fit of anger and desperation. She wanted so badly to place the blame on Damon so that her own guilty conscious would be cleared…but she knew she couldn't bring herself to do such a thing.

Then there was the whole Tyler Lockwood dilemma; the werewolf curse, the almost kiss, and her conflicted feelings of wanting to trust the man. Why couldn't she have a simpler life as a witch? Why couldn't she be like Samantha on "Bewitched" and just twitch her nose to right the wrongs of the world? It seemed like no matter what she did in order to keep herself and the people around her protected, something went completely wrong. If she fooled herself into trusting Tyler, would that leave a window of opportunity for Mason as well? Or would she foolishly be prejudice towards the man (much like her prejudice of vampires) and allow for him to suffer the fate of the Lockwood curse? So many question…not enough answers.

Upon leaving her classroom and gently shoving pass the overactive teenagers in the crowded hallway, she found herself being stopped in her tracks by a familiar blonde figure which stood directly in front of her. Bonnie looked at the woman with a straight face, no specific emotion or gesture. If anything, the young woman was trying instead to find vampire features that her friend must have obtained after she was so tragically changed.

"Hey, Bonnie," Caroline greeted her friend with a weak smile. "Its been a while…haven't seen you in like, forever."

"Yeah…I've been busy." The witch clutched the strap on her purse as she tried not to seem so hesitant around her once best friend. "I see the ring is doing its job properly," the woman continued. Caroline looked down at her hand and observed the magical Daywalker ring which Bonnie conjured up for her.

"Yeah, it's been really helpful," Caroline responded. "It actually gives me a theme on what I should center my clothes around." Caroline smiled wider but Bonnie was still tight-lipped. The caramel-skinned woman wanted so badly to look at her friend and still see the frustrating, selfish, bubbly teenager she use to have before her untimely "death". But every time she looked in the blonde's eyes she could only see Carter's lifeless body on top of the truck the female vampire devoured him on. Obviously it wasn't Caroline's fault for killing the young boy…but Bonnie couldn't ignore what had happened.

"Well," Bonnie started as she began to make her way past the blonde slowly. "I've got to get going, Damon is waiting for me outside."

"Bonnie, wait!" Caroline called out to the witch who's back was facing her. "I can't do this anymore; I can't have you hating me because of who and what I am." The brunette closed her eyes and released a loud sigh that was easily drowned out by the commotion surrounding them in the crowded hallway. "I'm sorry about Carter…honest to God I am. But you know that I would never intentionally hurt him…I just…I just couldn't control myself." Caroline still kept cautious with her words even around the oblivious student body that scattered around like ants around a picnic blanket covered with food. "Please Bonnie…"

The caramel-skinned woman was preparing to take a step forward and continue towards the student parking lot, but something in the back of her mind was gnawing at her not to. Something was telling her to let go of all of her prejudice of vampires for her friend - at least this once. There were plenty of people in Bonnie's life, but Caroline was one of those people that the witch knew she could never live without. It wasn't long before Bonnie began to turn on her heels and face the misty eyed Caroline.

"I could never hate you, Caroline." Bonnie told the woman reassuringly. "You're my best friend, and no matter what comes between us you always will be. I just…" But before the woman could finish her sentence, a huge force suddenly slammed itself into her body hard, merely knocking the air out of her completely. It happened in such a rush that it took the young woman a moment to realize that Caroline had wrapped herself around the witch for a tight huge. Bonnie was expecting to tense up under the simple touch of the vampire…but nothing of the sorts happened. The young woman then expected to feel a menacing aura or an overwhelming sense of dread under the touch of the blonde woman…but alas nothing other the all too familiar scent of overpriced perfume and the gentleness of her friend's fingers across her back made this moment more human than supernatural.

It was nice…it was right. And before Bonnie knew it, she herself was bringing up her arms to wrap around the overjoyed woman.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel like I hated you," the witch stated to Caroline softly, narrowing her eyes and growing upset around the fact she had placed blame solely on her friend for actions that could clearly not be controlled at the time. "I'm sorry for everything…for what happened to you." A chuckle was heard escaping the lips of Caroline as the woman pulled back from Bonnie to give a wide smile.

"Don't be sorry. I know that you had Damon give me blood because you knew it would help me heal, and that alone makes you a good friend. If we should be blaming anybody it should be that bitch, Katherine." A weary look took over Bonnie's face momentarily before she furrowed her eyes and clutched the strap on her purse even tighter.

"We're going to stop her. She's caused enough trouble here in Mystic Falls, and I for one am pretty tired of her shit." Both women nodded their heads as a sign of agreement.

"Well…I better get going. I gotta meet up with Jeremy out by the track and talk over some things with him. Besides, I don't want to keep you from your pleasure cruise waiting outside." Caroline's sarcastic comment about Damon only brought out a slight chuckle from Bonnie, who herself wasn't thrilled about driving in a car with the older Salvatore brother. But strangely, it was something that she was growing use to (though she would have preferred to drive her own vehicle). "Also, we've got to go shopping later. Hun, this witchy-stuff is really starting to cloud your fashion sense. Luckily for you my senses are heightened." The petite woman arched an eyebrow before she quickly observed her outfit only to look back up to find that Caroline had gone. In all retrospect, the green-eyed beauty was just glad that Caroline's transformation hadn't completely altered her attitude, which caused a small smile to slowly stretch across her face.

Continuing on her path outside towards the parking lot, Bonnie scouted the crowded area in hopes of spotting out Damon's black car. She ventured forth and tried to seek out the expressive vampire (probably hitting on some female Freshman), but was surprised by the absence of his presence. The young woman was sure that the man would be in the parking lot on time to pick her up, especially with the lecture he had given to her about how much he hated tardiness. Not that she was heeding to his words and making sure to meet him exactly when school was out, but the last thing she needed to hear from the overzealous vampire was another boring, masochistic speech.

"Bonnie," a deep voice echoed from behind the woman which immediately caught her attention in the worst way possible. Bonnie knew instantly that it was Tyler calling out for her. "Hey wait up, I need to talk to you."

'_Of course you do_', the woman thought to herself as she reluctantly stopped in her tracks to turn and face the jogging teenager. He halted a few feet in front of the girl before giving a toothy grin.

"Hey, I was looking for you all day. I wanted to talk to you." Tyler's words came out between each breath he tried to regain from his small run.

"I'm sorry, Ty," Bonnie said with sad and nervous eyes. "But I got to get going. Dam…somebody is waiting to pick me up and I can't keep them waiting." The young woman was careful not to reveal to the teenager that the individual picking her up from school was Damon Salvatore. It wasn't something she was neither thrilled to share or discuss, especially with somebody who had not the slightest idea as to why she would be caught dead riding in a car with the vampire. "Maybe I'll talk to you later or -"

"I'm sorry." Tyler interrupted the woman with his apology. "About yesterday; I shouldn't have tried to kiss you the way that I did, it was rude. I mean, I may not be a gentleman and crap like that…but I shouldn't have put you in that awkward situation." The witch was silent as she tried not to allow the memory of the day before resurface to her present thoughts. Bonnie just raised a hand as if to cut off the man's premeditated sentence.

"Tyler, lets just forget about it," Bonnie suggested silently. "I appreciate the sentiment…but I'm just not in a place right now for _that_ kind of connection." Tyler nodded his head almost in a disappointed fashion. "You're a nice guy, Tyler," the woman continued lightheartedly, "But there are just too many things that put us on receiving ends of the track. Too many…instances."

HONK, HONK, HONK!

The couple sharply turned their heads towards the loud car horn that blasted to the side of them. It came as no immediate surprise to Bonnie that the individual who had so rudely jumped in between her conversation with Tyler was Damon Salvatore, driving in his shiny black Camaro. The vampire leaned in towards the passenger side to look out of the widow and stare at both teenagers talking amongst each other, though his glare was mostly focused on Bonnie. The woman returned the stoned glare for a couple of idle seconds before turning her attention back to Tyler.

"I gotta go," she simply said before turning to go for the back passenger door of the car.

"With him?" Tyler asked bewildered. "But you hate Damon…or at least I thought you did." Bonnie didn't stop in her tracks as she continued to toss her belongings in the back of the vampire's car before slamming the door shut and opening the front passenger door. But before she decided to jump in the passenger seat of the black vehicle, the young woman paused herself to glance back at Tyler with conflicted eyes.

"You of all people should know that the world we live in no longer makes sense. This is complicated Tyler…you wouldn't understand." And with that Bonnie jumped into the car which was followed by Damon's foot slamming down on the gas pedal and speeding out of the student parking lot.

There was complete silence between the couple in the black Camaro. If there was one thing that the two had in common, it was there ability to go hours upon hours without saying anything to anybody. However most of the time, when one felt the need to speak about something important (usually towards somebody they didn't like), they'd go on a wild non-sensible rant that would always jump-start an inevitable argument. For example; Damon having to prove to Bonnie that Tyler Lockwood is somebody not to be trusted.

"I thought I told you to stay away from Tyler Lockwood?" Damon reminded the woman sitting next to him, almost scolding. It was the first thing uttered in the car and the last thing that Bonnie wanted to hear Damon bitch about. "Have you forgotten already that Jeremy is watching out for him? Or is there some other reason as to why you can't stay away from the stray?"

"It's kind of hard to ignore the boy when I go to the same school as him," Bonnie snapped back with narrow eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest, a defensive move she would use frequently whenever in the midst of a heated argument (usually with Damon). "Besides we have nothing on Tyler to suspect him of any foul play anyway."

"You are so predictable," the man responded back, mostly to himself. "I tell you to do something, and what do you do? The complete opposite, that's what."

"And your point being?"

"My point being, little witch, is that you need to learn to take good advice when you receive it." Damon slowed the car down as he came to a red light. He furrowed his eyes as he turned to look at an irritated Bonnie Bennett. The woman's eyes had a way of glowing when they narrowed. "How am I suppose to keep you safe when you constantly put yourself in dangerous situations?" Bonnie just shook her head and perched her lips as she looked out the fingerprinted car window.

"Whatever, Damon." The woman's tone was meek and her body language showed that she really wasn't in the mood to discuss the situation with Damon. The vampire merely rolled his eyes as he continued to drive forth when the traffic light turned green. "When I want good advice from somebody I'll go to Stefan." Bonnie's comment only brought out a scoff from the man driving.

"Funny, since you didn't go to Stefan yesterday when you needed somebody to erase Daddy dearest's memory." Damon's comment brought silence to the inside of his car for a couple more seconds. Now Bonnie was looking at the vampire with angered eyes and an uneven rhythm in which she breathed.

"If Stefan was there, he would have helped me," she responded back weakly. "So don't think too highly of yourself, alright?" Damon scoffed again, tightening his grip on the steering wheel as he drove faster on the highway.

"If Stefan was there, he would have told you to try and work it out with your father; look for common ground and all that bullshit," the man's eyes were solely focused on the road ahead of him, but Bonnie could see that a memory had momentarily rose to the surface. "I'd know…he fed me the same bullshit back when we were human." Bonnie couldn't help but glance at the man before her, taking notice to the subtle way he clenched his jaw and narrowed his deep blue eyes.

"So is that the real reason why you helped me yesterday?" she questioned. "Because you knew Stefan would do the complete opposite? What, was I just another experiment for you to prove your masochism?"

"No," Damon responded back simply.

"Then why help me?"

"Because I needed you out of that house for the next week."

"I don't believe you." Bonnie responded back as she sat up on her black leather seat.

"Not my problem," he shot back with a small grin.

"You're lying to me, and I know it. There's a reason why you helped me out of that situation yesterday. You really didn't have to help me out of that situation…but you did." There was more silence between the couple with the only sound present being the sound of rocks being slowly rolled over by the Camaro's tires while he pulled to the front of the Salvatore Mansion. Bonnie reached towards the backseat and grabbed her belongings before jumping out of the black vehicle. Upon Damon's departure from the car, the woman prepared to question him as they both made their way to the front door of the estate and then eventually inside.

"Well, are you going to tell me the truth, or am I going to have to get it out of you another way?" Bonnie pressed on as she tossed her purse and other belongings on a lone chair situated in the living room. The vampire immediately went for his bourbon at the bar, already taking notice to how irritating persistence could be.

"Shouldn't you be studying spells from that Grimoire of yours?" Damon asked as he poured himself a shot of alcohol before indulging in a quick sip from the glass.

"As soon as you stop bullshitting me and tell me the truth as to why you helped me yesterday." It went silent again as the man continued to drink the rest of his bourbon then proceeded to pour himself another glass full.

"It's not important," he told the woman without looking at her. Bonnie narrowed her eyes as she slowly made her way to the side of the vampire, leaning against his bar and arching an eyebrow in defiance.

"It's not important for who? Me?" Damon grabbed his cup and stepped in front of the witch, slightly leaning in towards her and whispering in her face softly.

"What does it matter to you at all? It doesn't concern you." Continuing forth towards his favorite chair by the fireplace, he flopped down on it with his drink in hand and started to pinch the bridge of his nose with his free hand. Bonnie stood where she was and shook her head disappointingly.

"Y'know…maybe I should have stayed home. I mean, I have nobody to talk to here, and I never had anybody to talk to there. It's the same scenario but different locations; not to mention stubborn individuals. But if you don't want to talk about it, fine. We don't have to talk about it Damon." The man sat in his seat looking at his drink, regretting bringing up the subject at all. "I mean I figured since I opened up to you about the whole Grams situation that maybe you'd be inclined to share something intimate with me also. I'm assuming now that I was wrong."

"You assume correctly," Damon uttered before taking a sip from his glass of bourbon again. Bonnie wasted no time in grabbing her things on the lone chair and clutching them close to her chest. She started for the grand staircase in an angry stride but stopped short before lifting her foot to the first step at the bottom.

"You know, Damon, one day you're going to realize something," Bonnie started to say, her back facing the comforted vampire. "You only have so many people to piss off before you end up alone and unwanted."

"Yeah, well I've got news for you, sweetheart. I've spent the past one hundred and fifty plus years alone and unwanted _while _I was pissing off people, so I have nothing to worry about for the next one hundred and fifty plus more."

"Perhaps…but keep in mind you've spent those first one hundred and fifty years looking and lusting after Katherine. Now that you know you'll never be able to be with her and will eventually have to kill her…what will you spend the next part of your eternity living for?" Damon's expression was stoned and he was quite honestly speechless. He never thought that far ahead or given his eternity much thought beyond spending it with Katherine.

"I've got other options." An obvious reference to Elena that Damon felt confident in. Bonnie merely shook her head in disappointment as she turned to look at the slouched man on the couch, her long black hair covering part of her round face.

"You of all people should know that we can't all get what we want in life. Sometimes we gotta look past our own prejudices and accept what life deals in front of us." The woman's green eyes shifted towards the ground associated with a faint smile. "I realized that when I spoke with Caroline today. No matter how hard I tried to look for the vampire within her…I still saw Caroline; my best-friend. And I've accepted that."

"If you think this little speech is going to butter me up into telling you whatever truth you're looking for, you're sadly mistaken." Damon's response could have been misinterpreted as a growl if it wasn't for the glass of bourbon against his lips. "I don't do heat-to-hearts, thank you very much."

"Maybe," Bonnie retorted before heading up the stairs slowly with her belongings in her grasp. "But sooner or later you're going to run out of bourbon…then what will you find comfort in?"

Damon rolled his eyes as he sat in his chair drinking from his favorite glass. He tried not to let the words of the witch get to him, but in the back of his mind he knew that what she was blabbering about rang true. Despite the fact he had a switch that allowed him to turn off emotions whenever he so chose to, there just seemed to be too many unnoticed feelings lurking about inside of him that made it difficult to fully appreciate the ability. And though he had looked past so many things he had done wrong in his past (like killing, and lying, and stealing, and committing adultery with married women), Damon could never loose the memory of a disappointed father and a brother who seemed to excel in everything and gain the love and attention from everyone around him.

It was stupid really; to mope about a past that had no direct affect on his present day self. Seriously, he was Damon fucking Salvatore - the sexiest, baddest, and toughest guy…well, vampire…in Mystic Falls. Of course there were now werewolves and Katherine and hooded killers, and not to mention the witch upstairs who tired to burn him alive; they were pretty tough (if not tougher) as well. Regardless…they weren't him. And they could never be him because Damon was as unique as they came.

So why was he still unhappy?

Why wouldn't Elena love him the way he loved her?

Why did the witch have to be Oprah all of a sudden?

Too many question…not enough answers.

Damon stood from his seat over by the fireplace and downed the rest of his bourbon, strutting over to the bar for more firewater. Coincidently from the look of his tall slender pitcher, he had drunk the last of his bourbon and thus had no more to indulge in. He'd swear up and down that Bonnie had something to do with the all-too-convenient disappearance of his alcohol just so she could prove a point, but even he knew the woman would never stoop to such a petty level. Much like the level he stooped to when he broke the woman's coffee mug a week back.

Damon stood by the bar, unsatisfied and unaffected by the booze. He'd usually use the opportunity to harass Elena a bit, but she was too busy getting acquainted with Stefan somewhere. The thought of going back to the high school was also appealing, but he was sure that he had banged every girl at that campus. The smart thing to do would be to go out and buy some more bourbon…but he'd have to drag Bonnie along with him and he didn't feel up to another exciting joyride with the woman. So, there was really only one thing left to do…

Bonnie spread herself out across the bed in the bedroom she would be staying in for the next week. Her back sat up against the headboard and the pillow that was situated below her, while her feet were covered with the thick comforters of the queen sized bed. Studying the Grimoire faithfully, she paid no mind to the dark figure that slowly crept its way outside the bedroom's door-frame. Bonnie's expression, however, did grow more stoic as she released an irritated sigh.

"What do you want?" Bonnie asked Damon who was leaning his back against the wall of the room by the door.

"…my father never accepted me." Damon forced out of his mouth, regretting already the decision to share just that bit of information with the woman. But Bonnie listened and immediately drew her eyes over to the vampire by the door. He walked in the room and leaned his back against the wall closest to the door. "He felt that by me being the first child, I had to uphold more responsibilities than Stefan did. That meant I had to become a man much faster, and I had to work much harder, and I had to be much more tough." Damon grew silent for a moment before continuing on with his story. "Back than it wasn't considered child abuse, but you can say that I got my ass beat at least twice a week. Granted I own up to all of those beatings…but for some reason it was never as severe when it came to Stefan. No - Stefan was the golden child in my father's eyes. He was the one that would carry on the Salvatore family name in a respectable, dignified matter. Humph…look how that turned out."

Damon pushed himself off of the wall and made his way to the edge of the bed with his arms crossed over his chest before hesitantly taking a seat by Bonnie's feet. Bonnie, still weary of Damon being so casually close, pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she continued to listen to the man finally open up to her.

"For the longest I hated my father and wanted nothing to do with him. All he did was complain about every little thing I did, and never once did he tell me that he loved me." Damon extended his hands in front of him and interlocked them together before leaning forward on the edge of the bed, remembering the details of past histories filed away in the back of his mind (though it oddly felt good to get it all off his chest). "That's why I helped you yesterday…because I've been in the same situation you were in countless amount of times in the past. Granted the extremities of our situations may vary, but if I had somebody there to take me away from home just for one week…" Damon grew silent as he turned his attention back towards Bonnie who held a saddened look on her face.

The woman didn't realize that Damon could ever relate with her on such a personal level; It almost seemed surreal and a bit bizarre. In fact, the woman had to momentarily question whether this story were true or not; whether it was some lie the man thought up to appease her starving appetite for the truth earlier. But looking into his ocean blue eyes and seeing the restraint he used not to showcase any emotion was enough to convince Bonnie that he was telling the truth.

Damon turned his head forward to glare at the wall in front of him, "Are you happy now?"

"Why would I be happy?" the witch questioned curiously, unsure of how happiness could derive from a story from which he told.

"Because after all your bitching, you finally got what you wanted." Bonnie narrowed her eyes. Sometimes the man made it so hard to feel just the slightest bit of sympathy for him.

"I'll admit I'm glad you finally decided to tell me the truth and open up. But I don't take happiness in someone else's sorrow." Damon grinned and chuckled aloud at the woman's response.

"Yeah, well…I don't need you feeling sorry for me. You just better make sure you keep this bit of information to yourself or you'll find I can be a lot more unpleasant when I wanna be."

"I promise." The response came almost immediately after Damon's warning. "But I do have one more question to ask." The man rolled his eyes and released a frustrated growl.

"What is it now?" He snapped, lifting a hand to scratch the back of his head.

"Why did you decide to tell me the truth?" The man grew silent before another chuckle began to make it's way up to his chest and then eventually out of his mouth.

"Let's just say you Bennett witches are more perceptive than you give yourself credit for." Bonnie wasn't sure what the man meant by his comment, but still felt it was appropriate to grin at the vampire sitting on the edge of her bed. Damon, in return to the woman's friendly (and rare) gesture, grinned back. It was a nice moment shared between the two of the them; the witch and the vampire. In fact, this was probably one of the only instances in which either of them smiled at one another without the gesture being forced or a subtle attempt at sarcasm. Just the same, the gesture didn't last long as both of them shifted their eyes away from one another, starting to grow uncomfortable in each others' presence suddenly.

"Well, isn't this a Kodak moment," a sultry voice appeared by the door which opted Bonnie and Damon to both snap their heads in the direction from which it came. Upon looking at the female that made herself present, Damon immediately stood up from his seat on the edge of the bed and furrowed his eyebrows. Bonnie went to stand up from the bed, but the man threw back a hand which signaled the woman to stay where she was. Without question she obeyed.

"You got a lot of nerve coming back here, Katherine," Damon sneered with a toothy grin.

"Oh, don't pout…it's not very becoming of you." Katherine slithered into the room slowly, eying both the witch and the vampire cautiously. "Besides I'm not here to fight…I've got business I need to orchestrate here."

"You and I no longer have business with each other," the man corrected. The evil vampire merely scoffed at Damon's assumption and stopped short in front of the couple, placing her hands upon slender hips.

"Silly, overconfident Damon. Who said I had any business associated with you?" Almost instantly Katherine's eyes shot over towards Bonnie sitting on the bed, and at that moment the witch felt her heart drop. "Hello, Bonnie..."

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**Even with Bonnie and Damon beginning to open up to one another, Katherine has a way of ruining a good thing, eh? Hope you enjoyed the chapter and the cliffhanger ending. I realize that TVD will not be back on until Dec. 2, so I'll try to get as many chapters up between then to satisfy ya'lls appetite for Bamon action. And trust me...things are going to get pretty intense. Also, we'll soon learn the identity of the hooded people. Get READY! I also want to apologize for the surplus of errors throughout the last chapter...wasn't feeling well last week :P Thnx for reading, and please leave me your comments. Peace :)**


	13. ServeProtect

**First off...I'm SOOOOOO SORRY for the late delay in this update. The Holiday season is the busiest time of the year for me and I've been trying to keep my life in balance. Plus there have been a lot of things in my personal life that I had to deal with that sidetracked me for a while..but now I'm back and all is well. Again...THNX YOU ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND CONSTANT SUPPORT!**

**This story would not be possible without the significance of you; the Readers. SO plz enjoy the story!

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**Chapter 13 - Serve/Protect**

"Hello Bonnie…"

The way in which Katherine said the witch's name sent a shiver of fear down the brown woman's spine. Still situated on the bed with Damon standing defensively in front of her, Bonnie watched with weary eyes as the female vampire stared her down with the those deep, menacing chocolate colored iris' of hers.

"It's so nice to see that you're doing well," Katherine stated in a melancholy tone, walking over towards a lone chair situated between a cherry oak bookshelf and a stain glass window. She sat down and crossed her legs over each other, grabbing a strand of her hair and twirling it in between her fingers. "I have a proposition for you that I'm sure you'll just love to hear." Bonnie was silent as she sat on the bed still as a statue. Nothing was more nerve wrecking than being in a small room with two psychotic vampires constantly on the offensive.

"What do you want from me?" Bonnie finally found the courage to speak up. Katherine stopped twirling her hair and glared over at the woman with a sinister smile.

"I want you to help me, silly witch," the vampire responded back with a slight chuckle. She shifted her eyes over towards Damon who was still standing defensively in the woman's presence. "Damon, would you be a good boy and leave us two girls alone? I'd like a little one on one time with Bonnie here."

"Fuck you." Damon spat out, not even giving the woman so much as one of his sarcastic smiles. Regardless, the remark did little to affect Katherine and her unusually chipper mood.

"Oh, Damon. Such vulgar language; you always did know the right things to say to get a girl hot." A mischievous smile made itself evident on the woman's face which brought out only a scoff from the man. "Fine…be that way," she said with pouted lips and a shrug. "Just the same, none of this concerns you, Damon. My business is with the Bennett witch and not with you."

"Fuck…you." Damon repeated his insult to the woman and this time it brought on a sour expression from the woman face. However Katherine soon began to merely smirk at the egotistical vampire in front of her before she laid her eyes back on the brown skinned witch on the bed.

"Anyway," Katherine continued, "You, Bennett, have something that I need to accomplish a very, very important deed." Bonnie frowned as she listened to the harsh voice speak to her directly.

"And what's that exactly?" the witch asked boldly.

"Your power, of course." The vampire stood up from the chair she was situated in and went for the bookshelf, gliding a finger past every book she passed. "I know that you and your little rag tag team of misfits have been searching up and down for the Moonstone." Both Damon and Bonnie froze where they were, curious as to how Katherine would know they were searching for the mythical object. "Oh don't act so surprised. We all know that since the recent werewolf sightings in Mystic Falls, anybody with so much as a fragment of supernatural knowledge is on the search for that piece of rock."

"And are _you_ looking for it?" Damon asked. The female vampire narrowed her eyes and gave the suspicious man a stoned look.

"I want back what belongs to me," she responded back with a sneer. "And the Bennett witch is the only person capable of locating it for me." Bonnie, feeling completely vulnerable on the bed, jumped off the mattress and stood by Damon's side. She couldn't help but feel more safe directly behind the male vampire, her breathing quickening with every second her eyes glanced over Katherine.

"My visions don't work like that," the brown skinned beauty responded, "I can only hope to get the answers I'm searching for. Only recently have I been lucky enough to achieve that." Damon released a sigh as he cut his eyes back to the woman and gave a disapproving glance; he did not want Bonnie to tell Katherine what she was capable of. "Regardless," the witch continued in hopes of redeeming her previous statement, "There's no possible way I would help you out."

"It's funny…you're so much like Emily," Katherine commented before stopping her steps and glancing over at the barely visible witch hiding behind her guardian vampire. "Your Great-Great-Great-Great Grandmother was also a stubborn woman. She too believed that she could fight against my will, though I must admit she did put up a bit of a fight; Her being mighty powerful at such a young age for a witch did come as a surprise to me. But much like yourself, her emotions was what weakened her."

"What are you talking about?" Damon asked, curious himself to know how Emily came to be under the order of Katherine. The female vampire merely smirked devilishly before continuing with her story.

"Every single person in her life that she loved would die by my hand if she did not submit to me. Granted her stubbornness did cause the untimely deaths of some of her friends and family, but it wasn't until I discovered the well kept secret she hid that helped me gain the upper hand; a husband and a baby." Bonnie flinch at the image of Katherine taking it upon herself to murder an innocent baby. It was sickening.

"You killed her family…_my _family?" Bonnie was growing more upset as she stepped from behind Damon to reveal her entire self to the vampire woman in front of her. The queen sized bed that separated the couple from the female vamp seemed to decrease in size with each passing second.

"All but her husband and child," Katherine continued slowly, "What good is a witch without collateral?" Swiftly moving from one side of the room to the next, the curly haired vampire appeared at the doorframe of the room which brought about a frightened gasped from Bonnie. The witch unintentionally returned to her position behind Damon and placed a hand upon his arm, cowering away from the sadistic woman in front of them. Bonnie wouldn't be so scared if it wasn't for the fact that she was no match for the seductress in her presence. She could only hope that if Katherine did try to attack her than Damon would not hesitate to aid in protection.

"Stop with the songs and dances, Katherine," Damon snapped back at the woman who in return gave him a roll of her eyes. "What do you need with Bonnie?"

"I need the witch to help me harness the power of the Moonstone."

"You have it?" Bonnie shouted out, her body still situated behind Damon though head tilted to the side of his shoulder so she could get a good look at the vampire smirking in front of her.

"Of course I have it," Katherine sneered, "Why on Earth would I let any of you idiots get your hands on it before I do?"

"Don't speak so soon…the day is young," Damon commented confidently. The female vampire's expression didn't change. Katherine took a step closer which prompted Bonnie to lean back towards the bed, though Damon never lost his footing and stood his ground in front of the conniving woman.

"Well, as much as I'd love to stand around and chat all day, I need the witch to come with me." Katherine stepped closer and Bonnie began to back up even more, nearly falling back onto the giant queen sized bed.

"Sorry, this witch has already been paid for," Damon snapped back sarcastically. "Guess you'll have to find another one in stock."

"Not gonna happen - there are a couple of hooded individuals that will not be particularly happy if I didn't at least drag the witch back to them on the brink of death." For a brief moment Damon and Bonnie shared a shocked glance between each other, but a brief moment was all that was needed before Katherine rushed towards Damon at neck-breaking speeds and shoved into him hard with her superior vampire strength. The man was sent flying off his feet and into the air where his back crashed into the bookcase, leaving Bonnie defenseless and unprepared for any defensive attacks.

"Now witch," Katherine said before taking a hold of Bonnie's arm so hard that it sprained her wrist immediately. "You're coming with me in one piece or two, I could really care less at this moment." Bonnie screamed out in pain as Katherine tugged her wrist forward and began to usher the both of them out of the door. But without warning Damon suddenly appeared beside the females before lifting his arm up and thrusting it down towards Katherine's back. The female vampire hollered in pain and had no choice but to let go of the witch's wrist as she try to claw out the broken piece of wood Damon retrieved from the bookcase he had stabbed into her back.

It wasn't long before both vampire's took to their natural form; the veins around their eyes popped out to showcase the menacing black eyes that mimicked death itself. Their fangs grew from within their mouths and their bodies tensed with the sole purpose of pouncing on one another. Damon jumped on the back of Katherine and tried to keep the woman from pulling the stake from her back. Bonnie watched as the grown man was clutching on to dear life on the back Katherine whom was banging herself against the walls in the room to forcefully remove the man's stuck on her. She bit him, he bit her…it was a ghastly site to behold.

However Bonnie knew that standing where she was and acting like the damsel in distress was not her forte. She had to help Damon bring down Katherine one way or another. Rushing over to the bed where he Grimoire laid, she swiftly turned the pages and searched for a spell she was going over before the current happenings of the evening. Taking in a deep breath and quick glance at the female vampire, Bonnie started to utter the spell aloud in an effort to help to stop Katherine from possibly killing Damon. Bonnie channeled the pain that was radiating from her wrist and put it towards the spell, which must have been working because Katherine suddenly dropped to her knees and screamed out in pain.

Damon drew himself back from the agonizing vampire and looked over at Bonnie with narrowed eyes. Bonnie uttered the words over and over again which seemed to only increase the screaming in which came from Katherine. The female vampire began to roll around on the ground in her own blood caused by the still protruding wooden stake in her back. However something started to happen to Bonnie that she didn't see coming. She felt herself getting hot, and her body was beginning to have this overwhelming tingling sensation. Her breathing grew more difficult as blood started to drip from her nose. Almost instantly, the witch dropped her Grimoire to the floor before glancing up at Damon and collapsing on the bed beside her.

"Bonnie!" Damon screamed out as he started to rush over to the golden-brown woman's side, but was interrupted quickly with a hand to the throat that thrust him to a nearby wall in the room. Almost as the thrust to the wall came, so did the stake that violently impaled in his chest. Katherine took notice to the pain in Damon's face and smiled. She really did find the man both incredibly sexy and incredibly annoying.

"You of all people should know better, Damon," Katherine teased as she dug the stake into his chest a bit more. "You are no match for me, and will never be. The witch is coming for me and never will be. Still you pride yourself in challenging me. Why? What do you have to prove?"

"That I'm over you…and I can prove that by killing you." Damon clutched at the woman's hands and tried desperately to pry himself from the grip his was under, but found it much too difficult to achieve. Sure the stake in his chest wouldn't kill him…but it stung like a bitch.

"Damon…you spent the better half of eternity lusting over me," Katherine leaned in some, placing her cheek to his cheek, the poignant smell of her brunette hair making the male vampire's stomach flutter. He couldn't allow to be drawn back in by seduction…he wouldn't. "Why risk your life for a witch like her? Granted she may have that same fiery personality as Emily…but she damn sure doesn't have the power."

"So why do you need her so badly?" Damon asked between gritted teeth as the pale skinned beauty placed her lips to his ear and spoke softly.

"What is it with you and your overbearing protection of the Bennett witches?" she asked. Damon narrowed his eyes at the woman in front of him before turning his head to wince in pain.

"How did you know about that?" he demanded to know.

"Please, Damon - do you think it was coincidence that Emily was burned at the stake? I must admit, I figured she'd fight back against the townsfolk who wanted her dead, but surely that would only put her family in danger." Katherine couldn't help but chuckle as she relived that fateful day for a brief moment. "I gotta say…it seems that the only way a Bennett witch can protect the ones they care about, is if they sacrifice themselves in some form or fashion." Both Damon and Katherine looked over at Bonnie who was unconscious on the bed away from them. The dried blood under her nose brought on such a delectable smell to both vampires. "Too bad those hooded freaks want Bonnie unscathed," the woman continued, "Witch's blood is the sweetest blood a vampire can taste. Than again, it's the rarest."

"Withes…" Damon's eyes grew wider as he came to realize just whom Katherine was working for. "That hooded couple…they're witches." Katherine's expression went sour as she regretted having let Damon learn so much about who she was working for. "But that doesn't make sense…they were stronger than me. Witches are not stronger than vampires, with the exception of Emily perhaps..." Katherine was silent as she glared angrily at Damon. The man narrowed his eyes at the revelation he discovered. "…Bennett witches?"

"You never did learn when to just give up, did you? Even all those times I compelled you to stay away, you always seemed to find your way back into my arms. I admit at one point it was cute…but right now it's both annoying and dangerous." Instantly the female vampire yanked the stake in his chest out and positioned it towards his heart. The man struggled from under her grip but could not exit the death hold on him. "I didn't want to have to do this today…but you've left me no choice. You know way too much, and quite frankly I'm not ready to die because of your knowledge."

The stake was a mere few inches away from jabbing itself into Damon's heart until there was a hand that yanked her arm back away from the black haired Salvatore. A perplexed Katherine narrowed her eyes and glanced at her hand which was acting against itself. Katherine struggled to drive the stake through Damon's heart, but the invisible force that pulled back seemed to be too much for the vampire to handle. It wasn't long before Katherine turned her head to investigate the cause for her restraint, only to discover Bonnie standing up by the bed she had previously passed out on; the Grimoire was opened wide above her hands while her lips softly uttered the incantation printed within the pages of the massive book. Her eyes were narrowed as she fought through the pain that surged through her body because of the spell, blood steadily dripping from her nose. The witch's body trembled violently to point that it almost looked as if though she would break into a seizure, though Bonnie fought against the urge to collapse and focused all her power towards the female witch in front of her.

"Im…poss…ible…" Katherine staggered out as her hand wrapped around Damon's neck was forcefully released. The curly haired vampire glared at Bonnie with constricted movement, her entire body no longer hers to control. "You will…regret this…Bennett." Ever word sneered between the teeth of Katherine literally brought a shiver to both Damon and Bonnie's spine.

But it wasn't enough to distract the witch from continuing on with her spell which went into overload when Bonnie widened her eyes and snapped her head towards the stained glass window near the bookcase. Immediately Katherine's body lifted from the hardwood floors of the room and was sent crashing through the second story window. Instantly Damon rushed over to the window and stared down into his glass filled lawn only to discover no body present.

"Dammit," Damon said in between in teeth. Truth be told, he was positive that the vampire seductress would not waltz back into his home so freely in the coming moments; he was aware of Katherine's fear of those whom were obviously stronger than her. If anything, Bonnie's offensive attack would keep the woman away a little while longer…hopefully.

Turning on his heels to look back at Bonnie, he was shocked to see that she was once again passed out on his bed. The blood that dripped from her nose was now covered on the bed sheets and her clothes. The male vampire rushed to Bonnie's side and placed a cold hand on her shoulder, slightly shaking her so that would wake up. Though upon placing a placate hand on the witch, he noticed the increasing heat on her skin and the slowing heart rate in which her heart beat. Almost in a panic, Damon turned his head from one section of the room to the next with no idea of what to do with the present dilemma. He would take the woman to the Mystic Falls hospital, but even on foot that would take him at least 5 minutes, and who was to say that Bonnie had that much time? The obvious second choice to which he was trying to avoid was to give the girl some of his blood. Immediately lifting his wrist to his mouth and biting down on it forcefully, he allowed for a small flow of blood to make it's way down Bonnie's mouth, some dripping to the side of her cheeks. It seemed to work as the witch's eyes were shyly opening back up, but when he placed a hand on her shoulder…the fever was still present.

Odd that the blood didn't seem to heal all of Bonnie's abnormal effect. He figured it was some "witchy" type thing that was beyond the control of a vampire, so he thought up a third alternative just to be on the safe side of this dilemma.

Without hesitation the blue eyed vampire rushed out of the room and across the hall to the bathroom where he started up a cold tub of water. Rushing back into the room where Bonnie laid, he scooped the witch into his arms securely and softly and gracefully made it back into the bathroom. Carefully placing the woman into bathtub of running cold water, he kneeled down beside her glared at her intensely. He plopped her head to the side of he shoulder as water began to slowly engulf the woman's burning body. After a few minutes waiting for Bonnie to wake up and shutting off the valve to the water, Damon leaned in closer to the woman with narrowed eyes. She looked to still be sleeping, but her chest was not inflating as strongly as before. Hesitantly the vampire reached into the full tub of water and cupped some liquid into his hands, finding it necessary to pour it over the woman's head as to ensure her entire body was dripping with coolness.

For a couple idle seconds, nothing significant happened. However just when Damon was prepared to panic and run out of the bathroom in a frenzy, Bonnie's shot up from the tub in a loud gasping mannerism. Wide bloodshot red eyes introduced the woman to a local she was not yet familiar with, thus causing her to wail her arms around in an uncontrollable panic. It usually wasn't in the woman's nature to react in such a way…but things happened so hurriedly that she had forgotten exactly which emotion was appropriate to use. So she ended up using all the emotions she had locked up inside of her. Flailing around like a mental patient, Bonnie screamed at the top of her lungs with closed eyes and swinging arms, water splashing on both she and a surprised Damon Salvatore.

The vampire stayed crouched near the woman, but found himself flinching away at every swing the woman made with balled fists.

"Bennett…relax," Damon urged the woman whom did not hear a word being said to her. "Bennett…calm down. Now." The man's voice was more stern, almost irritated as he watched the woman in the bathtub making a fool out of herself. "BONNIE!" The man leaned in further into the bathtub as he forcefully griped the woman's arms down to her side. Furrowing his eyes and watching as the frightened witch slowly opened her eyes to stare at Damon, the couple took the time to allow the silence between be a sort of calming moment. Damon also discovered that the extreme warmth that was upon Bonnie's skin had subsided significantly which caused him to relax a bit more.

"What h-happened?" Bonnie finally mustered up the courage to say as her eyes shifted from one side of the bathroom to the next. "W-Why am I in h-here?" Damon shifted his eyes away also, trying to think up the most simplistic answer for the woman.

"You're in more trouble than we thought," he responded with a strained throat. "A lot more trouble."

Bonnie couldn't help but to release a couple of tears, slowly lifting a finger to dap on the trail of dried blood that lead its way to her clothes and into some of the tub water.

"You alright?" Damon asked, concern surrounding his sentence. The caramel-skinned woman shook her head as she lifted emerald eyes to the pale man in front of her.

"No…" Bonnie whispered so softly that only a vampire could hear her response.

It wasn't necessary.

In fact, it wasn't even called for.

But considering all that had been going on with the woman, and the near death experience that Damon almost experienced…it was the only thing left to do.

Shivering in the cold water of the bathtub, Bonnie felt herself lean into the chest of Damon before wrapping her arms around him and crying uncontrollably. Damon grew stiff at the warming touch of Bonnie's fingers against his wet back, but strangely couldn't find it in his unbeaten heart to pull away. Thus the man began to reach out with one of his own arms and wrapped it around Bonnie comfortingly. Unsure as to why he felt compelled to keep the woman under his grasp, the vampire allowed for his chin to rest upon the top of the witch's head as random thoughts ran through his mind.

It seemed like no matter what generation he was in…there was always a Bennett witch to protect.

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**Again, thnx u for taking the time out to read my story and thnx u again for waiting so patiently for this chapter. PEACE :)**


	14. Living In The Moment

**I figured that since I made you all wait for so long, I would post this chapter up immediately. It's a chapter I've been excited to write because it...well...you'll have to read it and find out why, lol. Thank you all again for the endless luv you send my way, and I'll keep making these stories as intriguing as long as you'll have 'em. Enjoy the story!**

**I would also like to apologize for the surplus of errors in my last chapter. I hope the grammatical and spelling errors didn't tarnish your reading experience.  
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**Chapter 14 - Living In The Moment**

Bonnie held herself tightly as the thick quilt that Damon salvaged from his room made it all the easier to warm up from the cold bathtub she had sat in for the past five minutes. It seemed almost bizarre to believe that she spent a good four minutes hugging Damon Salvatore with her soaking arms while sobbing painfully into his hard chest. Just the same, the reassurance that she could release her emotions into the man and not be rejected (as she had half expected) was comforting. Still the thought of Damon not being there when Katherine returns brought about a shiver down the woman's spine, for she knew that the female vampire would surely come back when she least expected it and take her to the mysterious hooded couple.

A small knock on the door brought Bonnie's eyes towards the direction of the large bedroom door which opened wide to reveal Damon standing on the other side with a plate of soup in his hands and a solemn look on his face. The man was not use to this "catering" stuff and was greatly regretting it already…but he figured that both of them had been through enough to allow themselves more acts of peculiarities. Quickly dropping her lucid green eyes to the ground, Bonnie wrapped the quilt around her body even tighter as she sat on the edge of Damon's bed. As the male vampire made his way into the room, he shut the door behind him out of instinct; surely it wasn't going to stop Katherine from coming into his room, but the reassurance of the door behind him being closed shut was enough comfort for both he and Bonnie.

"I brought some soup," Damon announced softly before setting the woman's food down on the top of his citer-chest. "All we had in the kitchen was clam chowder." Bonnie didn't even bother looking over at the odd smelling bowel of soup that sat directly beside her. Instead she allowed her psyche to travel into the corners of her minds to contemplate whether or not her role as a protector to Mystic Falls was well within her power of control. All signs pointed to 'No'.

"Thank you." Bonnie's low statement of gratitude was barely audible, even for the Salvatore vampire to pick up. The dark haired, blue eyed man merely twisted his lips as he paced steadily from one end of his room to the next. Exchanging glances between the witch and the bowel of soup he had brought up for her, the vampire couldn't help but feel like they were both wasting time sulking in their own self-pity.

"So?" Damon started which prompted the young woman to look up from her dazed glance. "What do we do next?"

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked, almost dreading the answer that the man might conjure up.

"We got to go out there and get that Moonstone from Katherine." Bonnie sat up on the bed and narrowed her eyes at the man standing across from her, his hands placed on his hips and an arched eyebrow.

"No…we don't." Bonnie's response brought on a disbelieving chuckle from the vampire.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I caught that."

"We may need to find Katherine to find the Moonstone, yes. But we don't need to take the Moonstone from Katherine…not necessarily." Damon couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose in an act of irritation. '_Why is it when she survives a life-altering dilemma, she becomes more and more insane?_' Damon thought to himself before taking a couple steps towards the brown skinned woman.

"Okay, Bennett," Damon began to say, "Explain to me as to why Katherine would lie about having the Moonstone and about -"

"I didn't say she was lying," Bonnie interrupted with a shake of her head. "She _has_ the Moonstone, I'm sure of it. But something is keeping her from actually taking full possession of it."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, when you asked if she was looking for the Moonstone she vaguely responded by saying she wanted back what belonged to her, and that _I_ was the only person that could help harness it's power."

"So what are you saying? She has it…but she doesn't?" Damon went to sit on the opposing end of his bed before running a hand over his face, inhaling and exhaling extremely deeply. Bonnie could only drop her head towards the ground and shrug her shoulders.

"Is it so hard to believe?" the young woman asked, her head slightly turned as to stare back at the man. "Goodness Damon, the vampire girl you've been obsessing over for the past couple of centuries has come back to try and kidnap a witch so she could harness the power of a stone that holds reverence to werewolves. I'd say the time for questioning is over." Damon couldn't help but chuckle at the woman's unintentional joke, rubbing the back of his short black hair slowly. He too in turn, turned his head slightly to glance back at the girl sitting on his bed.

"Even if questions do seem to be irrelevant in the world we now live in…you can't deny that there are more than a couple of questions you yourself need to ask. Like the probability of the hooded couple being witches and possible relatives of yours." Bonnie was silent as she turned her head back to face the ground in front of her.

"Maybe some questions are better left unanswered," the woman simply stated. Damon narrowed his eyes and released a slight cough from his throat, trying not to let himself get caught up in emotions again (he didn't feel up to holding the woman for another four minutes).

"Regardless" the man started before standing up from his bed and making a trail around the bed, "You need to get yourself together so you can replicate whatever spell you used on Katherine earlier." Scoffing at the man's blunt order, Bonnie dropped the quilt around her and stood to her feet to give an angered expression.

"Are you serious?" she asked trying not to cry out in a fit of rage. "I was almost kidnapped today by a psychotic vampire that I could barely take on my own, let alone having to keep your ass safe. Now you're asking me to go in search for said psychotic vampire to look for a Moonstone that she may or may not have full possession of?" Damon clenched his jaw (he hated being questioned). "I'm sorry but…are you fucking high right now? Seriously, give me time to collect myself first before you decide to place me in the line of fire again."

Bonnie started for the door but was immediately blocked by the fuming presence of Damon Salvatore. The young woman stood her ground as she looked up at the man who was two seconds away from taking the witch over his shoulder and dragging her to wherever Katherine may have been taking refugee.

"What?" Bonnie blurted out at the man in front of her with a challenging tone. Damon was silent as he stood in front of the door and looked down at the woman in front of him. "Damon…get out of my way."

"What's the use of trying to be nice to you when nothing I do seems to be enough?" He questioned. Bonnie was a bit taken back by the question and wasn't sure how to respond on the spot. "I'm trying to do the right thing here by giving you and I-"

"Oh, just stop it Damon!" the woman yelled as she stepped back and waved her hands to the side of her to emphasize her words. "I told you before, I'm not stupid. I know the only reason I've survived this long is because you've got ulterior motives. So just save the nice act…"

"SHUT UP!" Damon screamed out at the top of his lungs, causing Bonnie to almost jump out of her skin in fright. The vampire's eyes went pitch black momentarily as he growled underneath his breath and scaled the look of fear on the woman's face. "All you do is complain, and complain, and fucking complain…and I honest to God can not take it anymore." The man started to take a couple of hurried steps forward towards Bonnie before pinning her against a nearby wall. "You want the truth, little witch? Fine…I am using you because you are the only link between me and something special. If I can get you to play nice with me for these next ghastly weeks, then maybe, just maybe I'll be able to obtain what I want while excluding you from the picture all together. Is that what you wanted to hear, or would you like to hear the sequel to my story?"

"Elena…" Bonnie said between clenched teeth. "The 'something special' is Elena, isn't it? Just give it up Damon…she loves Stefan. Not you! Gah, I thought your infatuation with Katherine was bad, but then again I guess it's not that different, is it?" Damon was silent as he looked down at the woman in front of him, tension being the only fence keeping the two of them separated. "Why do we keep doing this?" Bonnie finally asked as her eyes dropped to the ground. "Why are we constantly bickering about the same things over and over again?

"I'm not doing anything," Damon corrected the woman before taking a step back and heading for the door. It wasn't until the vampire placed his hand on the door handle that the woman called out to the man for him to stop in his tracks. "Bennett…I'm not in the mood for one of your hormonal mood swings. If you're going to say anything to me, it better be fucking important."

"I didn't mean what I said." Bonnie looked down at the ground almost in a guilty expression. Damon just gave a sarcastic smile in the presence of the woman.

"Yeah…I think you meant every single word. If there is one thing I know, its a Bennett witch."

"That's just it, Damon. I'm not _just_ a Bennett witch."

"Oh, no?" Damon questioned, taking his hand off the doorknob and swiftly making his way back in front of Bonnie. The young emerald eyed woman gave him a pleading look before opening her mouth to softly speak.

"I'm Bonnie Bennett. That's it." Damon couldn't help but turn his head to the side with his hands still situated on his hips. "I may have witches' blood running through my veins, but at the end of the day I'm just a 17 year old girl."

"It's not that simple, Bennett." Damon corrected the woman. "No matter what you want from here on out, you will always be just a witch for somebody else to use."

"Like you?" Immediately Bonnie shut her eyes and cursed under her breath, not sure how her sarcastic remark made its way from her lips so easily. Damon turned his body and started for the door before he felt the tug of Bonnie's hand wrapping itself around his wrist. "No wait...I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I honestly didn't mean that." Damon's back was still facing the woman as he contemplated snatching his hand away from Bonnie and heading for the door.

"Are you going through constant menopause or something, because your personality is seriously draining me of any energy I may have had."

"Look, I'm trying to be nice and keep sane and learn what it takes to be a witch in the span of a couple days. It's not easy for me to take in…so I vent."

"Well it's irritating." Bonnie couldn't help but arch an eyebrow.

"You nearly get a stake to the heart and it's my venting that irritates you?" Damon couldn't help but smirk at the woman's comment before finally turning to face the woman with his hypnotizing blue eyes.

"What can I say? Witches have a strange affect on me."

"I bet."

It took a couple seconds to realize where the tingling sensation in her hand was coming from, but the glance at her hand tightly wrapped around the Damon's wrist caused the woman to snatch her hand away almost hurriedly. The vampire noticed the rushed movement and couldn't help but chuckle while taking a step forward.

"Now isn't that something," he started snidely. "A psychotic, power-hungry bitch comes here to kidnap you, and I'm the one that makes you nervous?" Bonnie met the man's snide smile with her own smile.

"What can I say? You vampires have a strange affect on me." Both the vampire and the witch stood there ground looking at one another, unsure why they were still smiling at one another. It had become quite obvious that the two were almost the same person, just different back-stories and walks of life. Suddenly a conflicted expression overtook Damon's face which caused the ocean-blue eyes of his to hide temporarily behind pale white eyelids.

"Why do you always assume that my intentions are influenced by Elena?" Damon asked, tilting his head to the side a bit.

"Aren't they?" Bonnie asked with an arched eyebrow. The man took a step closer and leaned in towards the woman so that she would catch his words loud and clear.

"Not everything I do is for Elena, Bonnie…remember that." Damon's cool breath brushed against Bonnie's face, causing her to momentarily shift her eyes to his small perched lips. "I promised Emily that I'd protect your family…for as long as I could."

"Seems to me you're the one that needs protection," the young witch reminded the vampire which only brought back the toothy grin on his face. She looked up into the beautiful blue eyes that harbored such a evil man. He was evil…he had to be with his track record. But why was it so hard to still believe that? Why had Bonnie, who dedicated her witchcraft to destroying Damon and all vampires, over the course of a week suddenly saw a side of the man that…appeased her?

In fact the same perception of Bonnie could be said from Damon's point of view; why had he lost his willingness to kill the young witch when she irritated him? Why did he feel compelled to protect her more than he had protected Elena even? Why was the hate he harbored for the girl beginning to subside with every day they spent together.

"Protection from whom?" Damon questioned the witch.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"No, not really. I have a bounty on my head from many a people. You're going to have to be a little bit more specific."

"Protection from yourself, Salvatore." Bonnie said, pressing her finger against the man's chest before her wrist was quickly caught by the grip of the vampire's hand. Instinct told the woman to snatch her hand away from the man, but the way in which Damon grabbed her wrist did not make her feel threatened or intimidated. No; she felt at ease and calm.

"And who do you think should protect me?" The vampire questioned sarcastically to the woman.

Both Bonnie and Damon stood where they were and looked at each other for a lengthy period of time. They both held on to snaky smiles on their faces that quickly began to diminish once they realized just what position they put themselves in. The scenario was crystal clear; it was these moments in which two people leaned in to kiss one another. It was this exact moment that both Bonnie and Damon had shared with other individuals, but never did they think that a moment like this could possibly be shared between the two of them. But would they follow through? Would they allow for a spontaneous, perfectly stupid moment like this to happen between them?

Damon couldn't help but lean in a bit further cutting his eyes down towards the woman's lips. Bonnie stood still as a statue in front of the towering vampire, who's red lips seemed to inch closer and closer with each passing second. Her heart beat out of her chest as beads of sweat began to form around her forehead. The knot in her throat would not go down no matter how hard she swallowed, while the trembling underneath her did not come from an earthquake she thought she felt but the involuntary shaking of her knees.

Closer and closer Damon's lips inched to Bonnie's lips, while faster and faster the young witch's breathing became erratic. Before long the man's lips were pressed against the witch's full lips; they both knew that this wasn't natural or right in any way.

But the moment….

The _moment _was right, and the moment was natural. If anything, Bonnie and Damon were indeed living in the moment. And to be completely honest, that's all that really matter to the two of them. They kept their hands to themselves and moved nothing but their lips and tongues inside one another's mouth. It wasn't until Damon brought up a hand to cup underneath the witch's face that Bonnie pulled herself away from the vampire and placed her hand to her lips in shock. She couldn't believe what she had just allowed to happened between she and Damon. It was surreal at that moment, and wrong on more than one account.

"No…no…no…this…this…this isn't right," Bonnie stuttered out as she paced nervously in place in front of Damon, whom also was trying to decipher just what the hell he did.

"I, um…" Damon was literally at loss for words as he backed up towards the closed door to the room and grabbed the door handle. "…I'll be in the other room. I think…I think…" With that the vampire opened the door and slammed it hard behind him.

Bonnie looked on at the door that was slammed and couldn't help but feel like she had gone against everything she believed in; That all the preaching and judging she had practiced for months was no longer relevant. It was moments like the one she had experienced with Damon Salvatore that she wished she could just drop dead.

But unbeknownst to her, it was moments like the one she shared with Damon Salvatore that would change her life…forever.

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**Well, I guess the BAMON has finally begun. After 14 long, bickering chapters between Bonnie and Damon has happened. But what do you think? Did it happen to soon, or did it not happen soon enough? Share with me your input and let me know what you guys thought. In the meantime, be safe and thanks for reading. But don't worry...the next chapter is only a couple paragraphs away. Peace :)**


	15. Fool Me Twice

**Hiylo everybody, **

**Just wanted to give you all this chapter as early as possible since I won't be able to post another chapter till Monday on the 13th. Sadly I won't have anything new for you until, but with the holiday season here, I'm sure you understand just how overwhelming this time of year can be to some. Just the same, I'm thankful for all of your endless positivity and patience. You all make it easy to relax when writing these chapters. Also, I'm afraid (at least according to ) that I have reached my 15 Chapter limit. I'm a bit confused cause a lot of stories I read go well beyond 15 chapters in one document, but perhaps I'm over looking something. I don't mind starting a second all new document to continue the story (Rose In A Concrete World II ?), but it'd be nice to know how I can get this all under one roof. Also note that I deleted one of my "Author's Note" chapters to make room for this current one (for those unfamiliar with it, it wasn't important at all). Either way, here's my lengthiest chapter yet and most revealing. Hope you all enjoy!

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**Chapter 15 - Fool Me Twice…**

Two days…

Two days had passed since the attack Katherine executed at the Salvatore mansion…and since Bonnie and Damon kissed one another. It should have been easy for the couple to brush off as some stupid mistake that could easily be forgotten (especially when speaking of Damon). But neither the vampire or the witch could forget the awkward exchange between each other. Bonnie wasn't suppose to allow her vulnerability to fall into the hands of a maniacal vampire that destroyed everything good in her life. And Damon, he wasn't suppose to allow any lingering human emotions dictate his actions when he's been so forthcoming towards Elena. Both had solid, good reasons as to why they shouldn't have kissed each other.

So why did they?

Why, after all of the things they knew about each other, would they feel compelled to kiss in a moment without remorse? In a moment that could have been labeled passionate in the eyes of a third party bystander?

It went without saying that the only time after the kiss did Damon and Bonnie speak to each other was when they explained the events that happened in the mansion with Katherine to Stefan and Elena. Anything after that (even the bathtub incident) was left out of the explanation. In the meantime, they went back to the relationship the shared before all the bonding and trusting and talking; They didn't communicate, at all.

Thus why today should have been a lot easier for the couple to digest as Damon waited patiently in the school parking lot of Mystic Falls, preparing for Bonnie to make her way into his sleek black Camaro. The routine was simple and it was easy for him to get use to: Bonnie got in the car and didn't say a word. Damon drove them both back to the mansion where they each settled in their respected rooms and only communicated in the case of an emergency.

It seemed to work the first two days…the third day should have been a synch.

Should have.

"Salvatore." A booming voice interrupted the calm that Damon had obtained as he reclined back on his black leather car seat, sunglasses on and hands resting behind his head. Turning his head out of the open window that gave a clear view of the individual that was calling his name, the vampire released an irritated sigh as he faced forward again.

"Mason Lockwood," Damon uttered the man's name with a sneer. "If there was ever a day I wanted to see you the most…this isn't the day." Mason couldn't help but chuckle as he stepped closer to the parked vehicle, catching the immediate attention of the weary vampire. "You better be stepping closer to admire my car's paint job, cause otherwise I'd hate to have to attack you in front of all these little high schoolers." The vampire paused for a brief second before pulling off his sunglasses and sitting straight up to give the werewolf a snide grin. "Scratch that; I'd love to partake in a little scrap here in the parking lot. Goodness knows it'll prove to be great therapy release."

"I didn't come here to fight you, Damon." Mason's expression was serious in contrast to the smartass smirk planted on the vampire's face. "In fact I'm not here for you anyway."

"Yeah, I've been hearing that a lot lately," the man uttered aloud to himself.

"I'm looking for Bonnie." Damon couldn't help but drop the smile that was on his face as he stared at Mason with curious eyes. It wasn't long before the vampire began to slowly exit from his vehicle, causing the tall, tanned Lockwood to take a step back in caution. In a lot of ways, if it weren't for the supernatural gifts that were bestowed upon the two men, it would be fairly obvious who would win in a duel between them on human basis. Damon's infatuation with the color black only made him appear more slim than he really was; the black button-up t-shirt, black pants and shoes that all came together with his black leather jacket and combed back black hair should have been an indication of that. Granted the flushed out paleness of his skin and the faint glow of his Daywalker ring were the only acceptable colors. Mason on the other hands was an individual that never seemed to have enough clothes on; as he stood there in his white undershirt that showcased many tattoos on his overly muscular arms and the black shorts that barely ran past his knees, it would appear quite silly to see such a man of Mason's stature back away from the slim Salvatore.

Damon shut the door to his Caramo before taking a long stride in front of the nervous Lockwood male, "Y'know, you and Tyler seem to need a lot of things from Bonnie lately. It wouldn't happen to have to do with that little Moonstone, would it?" Mason gave a surprised look before shifting his eyes to the ground and pretending to having no idea of what the vampire was uttering about. "Seriously?" Damon teased, "You really thought we had no intention on getting our hands on that rock so that we could finally knock you cocky werewolves down a size?"

"Look, Damon, I don't have time to stand here and trade witty insults with you. I just need to speak with Bonnie. So where is she?"

"Obviously she's still in class otherwise I'd be speeding out of this parking lot with you in my headlight's view. Why?" Damon asked with narrow eyes before crossing his arms over his chest and cocking his head to the side slightly.

"It's private."

"Sorry Scooby, but around these parks there's no such thing as private anymore." It was Mason this time who crossed his arms over his chest, giving a snide grin and cocking his head to the side in the same fashion as Damon.

"And who the hell are you, her boyfriend?" Damon was silent as he released a small cough, not exactly sure why he hadn't retaliated back with a sarcastic comment or at least a witty remark to piss off Lockwood. Did he really hate having to be reminded of that damn kiss with every mention of Bonnie's name?

_RIIIIIIIIING!_

The sound of the school bell indicated to both men that students would soon be making their way out of their classrooms and towards home, or in Bonnie's case, Damon's car. Both men stared each other down with nothing but the ever increasing volume of student chatter in the distance starting to make it's way into the student parking lot. It would never be understood how vampires and werewolves came to the decisions that they were mortal enemies…but in the case of Mystic Falls, a witch always seemed to be caught in the middle.

"Mason?" Bonnie's voice broke the stare down between the two supernatural beings, causing them both to look over at the woman. She stood a few feet away from the black Camaro, her black turtle neck sweater covered with the brown overcoat that Caroline made her borrow the day prior. Her hair blew to the side of her face which was convenient since she tried her hardest to avoid any direct eye contact with Damon who constantly kept his head turned away. It didn't take long to notice Tyler Lockwood making his way to the small group with his backpack sturdily strapped to him. Damon rolled his eyes at the incoming appearance of the boy.

'_GOD! This girl surrounds herself with werewolves_', Damon though to himself before Tyler made his way to the group and stood beside Mason's side.

"What do you want, Mason?" Bonnie asked in a faint voice. The tall man was hesitant to speak with Damon around, but eventually found the courage to say what he needed to the young woman.

"I know Tyler spoke with you a week ago about the whole werewolf ordeal," the older Lockwood said.

"Yeah."

"Well, I was hoping you'd come to a decision on whether or not you'd help me?" Bonnie was silent as she clutched the purse on her shoulder tightly.

"To be completely honest, Mason, I haven't had the time to fully immerse myself in Tyler's request. I'm sorry, you're going to have to give me more time."

"More time!" Tyler screamed out, catching the attention of Bonnie and Mason, but mostly Damon who quickly turned around to examine the angered teenager. "Bonnie he doesn't have more time…neither one of us do." The young woman merely narrowed her eyes as she took a step closer to the Lockwood teen and studied his strained expression.

"What are you talking about? There won't be another full moon for at least a week and a half. And if I'm not mistaken, you shouldn't have to worry about any transformation. Besides I'm doing the best I can to help you out…"

"That's bullshit."

"Tyler!"

"If you weren't so fucking concerned about trying to help your dead friends," Tyler pointed a finger towards Damon to emphasize his statement, "then maybe you'd see just what kind of shit we're in. We can't do anything without the aid of a witch."

"What would I be helping you with, Tyler? You claim to be in some big trouble, but every time I question it you never give me a definitive answer. How do you want me to react?"

"React like a real friend would react," the man snapped back. Bonnie's nose flared as the strap to her purse fell from her shoulder to her hand in which she gripped tremendously. "Help us."

"Maybe if you hadn't started off lying to me, friend, I wouldn't have so much doubt in helping you." It was silent for a couple idle seconds between Bennett and Lockwood before the obnoxious sound of applause erupted from Damon, a sly smile plastered on his face.

"I gotta say…that was probably the most random, Emo, overdramatic argument I've seen all week." Damon reached out with his hands and pointed simultaneously at both Mason and Tyler. "You Lockwood boys clearly can't take no for an answer, so I guess I'll have to deliver the message Bonnie obviously can not." It happened in a flash as Damon was suddenly in front of both Lockwood men who took a cautionary step backwards. "Bonnie is not in the position to help either one of you idiots…so this is what's going to happen. If the woman says she doesn't want to be bothered by you two, then you better high tail your asses in the opposite direction, because if I get word that either one of you are harassing her again…I assure you that you'll will never have to worry about an upcoming full moon. Ever." Tyler took a step forward in an attempt to challenge Damon's threat, but Mason threw a hand out at the teenager's chest and stopped him short in his tracks. "Are we clear on this?"

"Crystal," Mason uttered aloud, his demeanor suddenly changed from earlier. He didn't appear so timid or shy in the presence of the vampire. In fact, he was more calm and confident as he started to go in the opposite direct, pulling Tyler along with him. Bonnie didn't take notice of the disappointed look that the Lockwood teen gave her. Damon did and only shook his head.

He fucking hated teenagers sometimes.

As both Damon and Bonnie made their way into the black Camaro, the vampire immediately sped off and onto the highway where he prepared to take the both of them back to the mansion. It was silent as usual, though the argument shared between the Lockwoods helped to break some of the awkward tension between them. As the man continued to drive quietly towards home, he could see from his peripheral vision that Bonnie was struggling to say something aloud, but nothing audible would come out of her mouth. He hated to be the person having to break the silence, but the awkward two days of no talking was only making their "situation" seem worse.

"It's about time you saw those Lockwoods for who they really were," Damon said. Bonnie turned her head to the man and merely shrugged her shoulders.

"I didn't say I wouldn't help them…I just haven't had the time to put any effort in their plea." Damon narrowed his eyes before turning to give the woman a disapproving glance. "What?" she asked, already sure of what the vampire was thinking.

"So you're really going to put yourself back into werewolf problems again?"

"What makes their problems any different than vampire problems?"

"Vampires handle their own problems, thank you very much." Bonnie couldn't help but scoff at the man's comment, shaking her head and arching an eyebrow.

"If that were true, than why do you need my help in anything?"

"We need more eye candy with our problems," Damon said with a snide look. Usually Bonnie would look at that comment with a sight of disgust, but strangely enough she couldn't help but reveal a small smile that was trying to creep its way across her golden-brown face.

"Whatever," she mumbled seriously though her constant struggle to keep from smiling made it all the more difficult to say. Damon looked over at the woman and saw that something was definitely different about the young witch; She didn't seem to be as reserved and mean as she usually was. Sure it had only been two days since the two actually spoke to one another, and not much could have changed in that short span of time…but it seemed to make itself present in the case of Bonnie.

"Y'know I almost forgot what your voice sounded like," Damon said a bit more seriously. "You've been avoiding me for the past two days." Bonnie released a small cough before tucking her hair behind her ear and responding to his observation.

"And you haven't been avoiding me?" Bonnie asked, though her eyes were focused on the road ahead of her.

"Well it's kind of hard to avoid you when you're staying at _my_ mansion, eating _my_ food while I drop you off and pick you up from school in _my_ car." Damon slowed his car to a crawl as he pulled over to the side of the road. Turning his body sideways so that he could face the witch head on, he couldn't help but notice the nervous expression upon the woman's face. "Look, the longer we keep up this act, the more suspicious Elena and Stefan are going to become. And quite honestly I don't need either one of them knowing about this. Unless you told, of course?" Damon arched a stern eyebrow at Bonnie who in turn rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"No…of course not," she responded. "And even if I did, it wouldn't be that close in the realm of believability to either of them anyway. They both know I can't stand you, so why would they believe that you kissed me?"

"It's not that far from the realm of believability, you know?" Damon said, a bit insulted by the witch's assumption. "I can't help that most women are willing to kill just to spend a split second with me."

"And here I am spending the remaining week with you…aren't I a lucky girl?" Bonnie said sarcastically, growing more irritated by the vampire's conceited attitude. Damon caught wind of the woman's tone and smiled wider.

"You liked it, didn't you?" Damon asked. Bonnie's eyes widened, applaud that the man would assume such a thing. Obviously she'd never admit to wanting to linger in "the kiss" a bit more than she needed to, but actually _liking_ the fact that the man placed his cold, dead lips upon her was enough to make her barf.

At least…that's what she made herself believe for arguments sake.

"You're reaching, Damon," Bonnie clarified to the man who seemed to inch in closer towards her with every breath she exhaled. "The only person who got any satisfaction out of that kiss was you. For me it will be a mistake that I won't be able to take back, so I'd rather you'd just drop the subject and get us to the mansion." Damon sat there for a moment and stared at the woman before falling back into his seat and turning the keys stuck in his ignition, shutting off the car engine in the process. Bonnie looked on at the man in surprise, not sure what tricks he had up his sleeves at the present moment. "What are you doing, Damon?" The question was met with a frustrated sigh and reluctant rub of the forehead by Bonnie.

"I don't think I've ever met a woman who said they were un-mesmerized by my kiss," Damon revealed aloud, mostly to himself. "And to be quite honest, I don't like the way it sounds."

"Yeah, well we can't win them all Damon." The young teen readjusted the seatbelt over her as she prepared for Damon to start the car engine again and drive them to the Salvatore mansion.

"You're bullshitin' me," the man's comment came out as an accusation towards the woman. The black haired beauty merely cut her eyes in the direction of the vampire and shrugged her shoulders. She would admit nothing to him or herself that involved "the kiss".

"Believe what you want," Bonnie said in a nonchalant manner, "What happened, happened. No need to dwell on the past."

"But see, that statement within itself is filled with enough bullshit to ensure me that you're lying. Because if anybody is going to vouch for how often _you_ bring up the past, it's gonna be me."

"Can we get going please, I have a test to study for."

"No." Damon smirked menacingly at the woman who was growing less and less amused with Damon's ego trip.

"Damon…go."

"Bonnie…no."

"Fine." The witch wasted no time in taking off her seatbelt and exiting the car with her possessions in hand. She stalked the rock infested ground in high heel boots, making it all the more difficult to walk. Damon watched the stubborn witch make leave ahead and couldn't help but play along in her pity party. Turning his car back on, the man slowly drove back on to the black concrete street and began to roll alongside Bonnie. With the passenger window rolled down, Damon leaned over in his car towards Bonnie outside while steering his car with one hand.

"Seriously…you're going to walk all the way to the mansion from here?" Damon questioned the witch who continued to ignore him and stagger ahead. "You know you're not as fun when you begin pouting like a baby."

"Once again, Damon, I'm not here for your personal amusement." Bonnie's words came out shaky as she stumbled forward with every step she took. "But leave it to me to think that maybe you were starting to become a nice guy."

"I don't do nice," Damon corrected the woman. "But none of that has to do with what happened briefly between us. We need to talk about it." Bonnie stopped walking to turn and face the car, but she made no eye contact with the man. The male vampire stopped his car and put it in park before quickly jumping out and making his way over to the woman's side. "Why are you making such a big deal out of this?" The woman asked frustrated and on the brink of tears. "Why can't you forget it like I have?"

"Because I know that you haven't forgotten it," the man responded. He wasn't sure why he needed to talk about the kiss so direly, but he knew that if he didn't speak his mind about the incident to Bonnie, it'd only make their relationship worse and more awkward than it was already. "Look I know we have our history between us…mostly because your previous habit of trying to kill me."

"Only finishing what _you_ started." Both Damon and Bonnie gave each other a sarcastic smile before their faces went serious again.

"Anyway," the man continued, "I'm sure whatever happened between us was just a spur of the moment type thing, but that doesn't ignore the fact that it happened for a reason. No two people who hate each other as much as we do would find it within themselves to kiss one another." The word "kiss" made Bonnie shift under her skin uncomfortably and Damon saw it. "Aren't you the least bit curious as to why?" The witch said nothing and instead shifted her eyes towards the man with a shrug.

"No…and it worries me that you're more concerned about it than I am."

"Why is that?"

"Because it's usually my job to worry about stuff this serious…and it's usually your job to try and tap-dance around the subject."

"So you _are_ trying to avoid the subject?" Bonnie was silent. Damon could only perch his lips together and let out an irritated sigh before taking steps in front of the woman and staring her in those emerald eyes of her. The man was no fool when he figured that not talking about the incident between him and the witch would serve them no good once they got out and tried to accomplish any goals. They had already discussed father issues, trust issues…but this would be their biggest discussion yet. Might as well get it over with now.

"Damon, I don't know what you're expecting me to say," Bonnie admitted to the man with a shake of her head. "Alright, so we kissed. Big deal. You kiss total strangers on a daily basis and don't give them as much flak as you're giving me." The vampire shifted his eyes to the ground momentarily in response to the witch's observation, unsure how to comment on such a truthful statement. "I have more important things to worry about than your ego right now."

The couple was silent as they stood in front of one another; Damon had his head positioned towards the ground while Bonnie was on the verge on continuing down the rocky path ahead.

"Man…when you wanna be a bitch, you can certainly be a bitch," the man said with a scoff. Bonnie immediately started down her path again before stopping short and turning back to face Damon with a furious glare.

"I'm a bitch?" the woman questioned angrily, tossing her purse to the ground and walking up to the man and pushing him against the chest. "You're fucking impossible, you know that? The minute I open up something to you that's surrounded in pure honesty, I'm a bitch for it."

"Yeah, pretty much." Bonnie wasn't sure where the reaction came from, but it was one she greatly regretted after doing. Spreading her hand open and thrusting it forward, the young woman gave the man a swift slap across the face. For a moment, it seemed as if though time had stood still. Damon stood there with his face turned to the side as Bonnie stood her ground and looked up at the man who just had his ego shattered in pieces. "And that was necessary, why?" the vampire asked angrily between gritted teeth.

"Because I wanted to show you just how much of a _bitch_ I could really be." As the woman turned her back to go for the purse she had dropped to the ground, she felt a sharp tug on her hand that forced her entire body to be thrusted back against her will. Before long, Bonnie soon discovered that she was being pinned between the black Camaro and Damon who had both arms spread out on either side of her. For a moment, neither one of them said anything as they stared each other down with furious, loathing eyes. The question as to how Damon could kiss such a spiteful, hateful individual was beginning to cross his minds. But before he could come up with any compelling reasons…he noticed something.

Bonnie Bennett wasn't like most girls; she brought out aspects of Damon's human side that he thought he erased centuries away. And though it would have been so much easier to turn off his emotions whenever he was in a conflicted situation with the woman (like his present dilemma), he found himself reacting like his former human self and becoming quite obsessed with having to help the woman and asking questions he'd normally just ignore. He would have liked to say that the added excitement and humanitarianism was a testament of his love for Elena. But even he couldn't ignore that it was Bonnie, and Bonnie alone, that somehow brought out this aspect of Damon he wasn't sure even existed anymore.

Maybe that was why he kissed the caramel witch?

"I should have known you were the type of girl that would kiss and not tell," Damon commented almost in a disappointed tone. The woman merely arched an eyebrow as she looked for the meaning of his statement hidden behind his beautiful blue eyes.

"And what does that mean exactly?" Bonnie asked with her body still encase by Damon and the car, only able to lift her head in a challenging way. Damon titled his head to the side as he lifted a hand and softly brushed a strain of the woman's hair away from her face.

"You're the type of person who releases herself in an individual but never explains why."

"You should talk."

"You kiss me only to act like it never happened; You don't want to talk about it or even acknowledge this simple fact. I'm starting to think it has something to do with me." The man couldn't help but smirk at his lighthearted comment which, thankfully, brought out a small chuckle from the judgmental witch.

"Really now, what would give you that idea?" Bonnie lifted her eyes up to glance at the pearly white teeth that Damon flashed at her through a grin, while the strong scent of his Givenchy cologne forced her to take in deeper breathes of the intoxicating fragrance.

"You know it's not like I forced a kiss onto you."

"I know." The couple looked each other in the eyes again, feeling the same emotions run through them the evening they kissed.

"If I wanted, I could just force another kiss onto you right now."

"Then I'd have to slap you again."

"You won't slap me." Damon inched closer, not as hesitant as he was the first time he leaned in to kiss the woman.

"Yes I will." Bonnie wasn't nearly as stiff as she was the last time they kissed, spreading her hands over the Caramo behind her to keep from pushing the man away from her. But she couldn't find the strength to push him away…in fact she didn't want to.

"Bonnie…shut up," the man whispered as he closed his eyes shut, still leaning in closer to the witch.

"Damon…" Bonnie closed her eyes and mimicked the same whisper Damon was allowing to slip from between his dangerously close lips. "…I-I…I can't do this…I can't…"

Lips merely inches away from one another, the witch felt a yearning she had never felt before and couldn't fight the impulses that controlled her body. Bringing up a hand to the back of the man's head Bonnie pulled Damon in for another kiss that was twice as fiery as the first. Their mouths meshed so well together, and their tongues complemented each other surprisingly enough.

But in all honesty, neither one of them had known as to why they wanted so dearly to kiss one another. There was no rhyme or reason behind any of it. They were two completely different people who had treaded completely different walks of life. Perhaps it was physical attraction that brought them together? They were, after all, two very attractive looking people who unbeknownst to them probably grew some type of sexual yearning towards one another? Or perhaps it was the overwhelming sensation of loneliness taking over their better judgment that made them confide in the hands of whomever was closest?

Or maybe, just maybe, it was something more?

Something deeper…?

Pulling away from the kiss, with both of their eyes closed, Damon was the first to speak up with a conflicted smile on his face.

"What the hell are we doing?" the vampire asked in a low whisper. Bonnie swallowed the lump in her throat before opening her mouth to speak.

"I don't know," she responded softly, releasing her grip on the back of the man's head. "This isn't right. We shouldn't be doing this." Lightly shoving her hands on the man's chest, Damon finally dropped both arms that trapped Bonnie between him and the car. He stood there in confusion as the woman went for her purse on the ground and quickly made her way back inside the convertible. Damon only moved to allow the witch inside his car, but stood where he was for a good minute. This wasn't making any sense. He loved Elena. He killed for Elena, and damn there died for her as well. So why was he chasing after "second best"? The girl he could hardly tolerate were it not for the fact she had abilities that would help him in the long run. Then again, none of those reasons seemed to apply in the current relationship he had build with Bonnie Bennett.

Dragging his feet around the Camaro until he entered into the driver's seat, the dark haired Salvatore sat in his seat and gripped the steering wheel tightly though the engine wasn't on. Neither of them said a word to each other or even acknowledged each other. It was the most uncomfortable position either of them had been put through (and that was saying a lot in reference to Damon). After what felt like endless hours of silence in the car, Damon finally started his ignition and started on his way towards the Salvatore mansion. Once on the property grounds, the couple jumped out of the car, entered the house, and went to their respected rooms. Even after all the arguing they did over the first kiss they shared, it seemed a waste to try and run away from the second kiss. But runaway they did. It just seemed easier for the two of them to pretend as if though nothing between them was real and just a spur of the moment type deal.

But the two figures who stood outside the driveway entrance of the Salvatore mansion saw differently….

"See…I told you that vampire would be trouble," a male hooded figure said nervously to the shorter curly haired female figure next to him. "He's only going to make it harder for Bonnie to trust us."

"Your trust," the female corrected with her deep silky voice. "She only needs to earn your trust. But once she sees me…then it'll be the reunion of a lifetime. And nothing will tear us apart again." The male figure released a long sigh before reaching up with his hands and pulling off the huge mask that covered his face. In the sunlight it revealed the face of a pale white male with a long blond hair and dark blue eyes. He appeared to be in his early twenties (though the blonde stubble on his face would claim otherwise).

"She hasn't seen you in over 10 years…what makes you think she'll except you back in her life." The hooded female merely smiled behind her mask before also deciding to take it off and reveal it in the sunlight. Her skinned glowed of an almond color and her eyes shimmered an emerald color, similar to Bonnie's in shape and size. She was much older than her male companion which was made evident by the few wrinkles around her eyes. But the streaks of red and black hair with complimented her heart shaped face made the woman a beautiful sight to behold. Stuttering towards the blue eyed man, the woman lifted herself up towards him and softly placed her lips upon his; kissing him passionately yet forcefully. As she pulled away she witnessed the blonde's face covered in dark veins, while his eyes had gone completely black. Smiling, the woman raised a hand to the man's mouth and began to graze her fingers across the many fangs that were now present within his mouth.

"Why must you always question me, my love?" the woman asked with narrowed eyes. "Trust me; you and Katherine do what you need to do, and I'll do what I need to do."

"Sooner or later they're going to find out I'm not a witch," the man said worriedly. "The element of surprise will be ruined if we don't hurry."

"Patience, my love…patience." The black and red haired woman turned back to the mansion ahead of her and scoffed in it's presence. "That's something my ex-husband lacked, and I'd so rather you didn't share that flaw with him. Granted _he_ had to learn the hard." The male vampire swallowed the knot in his throat nervously but was quickly comforted by a warm smile upon the woman's face. "But none of that is neither here nor there. Soon Bonnie and I will once again connect the way a mother and daughter should. It's inevitable."

Slowly the couple placed back on their masks and started for the woods, walking hand in hand with each other. Their relationship had an interesting background - one that almost mimicked Damon and Bonnie's growing relationship. But their motives were more focused on the institute of power, and less about love.

"What should we do once Bonnie's father realizes you're back in town?" the man asked over his constricting mask.

"The Bennett wizard poses no threat to me anymore," the woman responded sternly. "And before this is all over…he'll soon see why."

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**Well it looks like we get a glimpse of the hooded couple: a young blonde vampire, and Bonnie's absentee mother. But what could they have planned? And are we FINALLY starting to see more of a growing romance between Bamon? That should have you yearning for more come the 13th, LMAO! As always thank you for taking the time out to read (what I like to call) The Little Story That Could. Again your feedback is much appreciated, and I myself will try to respond to a lot of the comments you leave. And also, what should I do now that I've reached my 15 chapter limit here on RIACW? Does anybody have tips on expanding upon this preexisting document, or should I just get started on an new document while making it an expansion/sequel? Lemme know...Peace :)**


	16. Drunken Revelations

**First, I've got to say that I've been having a GREAT X-MAS month, and things only look to get better. But nothing compares to the endless support I've been getting for this story. As promised, I'm posting this story up for your viewing pleasure. I will try desperately to try to get these stories up sooner without making you all wait, but the holiday season has a way of changing plans. Regardless, this Chapter is my "X-Mas Gift" to you all waiting for a relationship to finally begin between Bamon. Hope you all enjoy.

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**Chapter 16 - Drunken Revelations**

Damon watched as Elena, Stefan and Bonnie prepared their belongings for school. He and the petite witch kept their distance from each other again, still unsure about the second kiss they shared the previous day before. It wouldn't be that much of an issue for the promiscuous man if it were for the fact that his kisses with Bonnie felt like a regular, lifeless kiss. Unfortunately there was a spark hidden within the kisses and it brought an interesting tingle to his spine when he would allow himself to linger in the softness of the woman's lips. It was bizarre for the eldest Salvatore to imagine himself actually enjoying the two moments he shared with the woman, but the notions never lasted as he would always "turn off" his emotions whenever the thought ascended to his mind.

"Damon!" Elena called out to the man who was at the top of the stairs, leaning against the wooden railing. He immediately snapped his head in the direction of the chocolate eyed beauty. It would be so easy to say that the person he was looking at wasn't Katherine…but even he couldn't fool himself into ignoring the obvious. "We're all ready to go and we're waiting for you." Damon prided himself another sip of his bourbon that was barely clutching tightly in his hands.

"As much as I would love to drop you kiddies off at school, I've been drinking all day and haven't got the balance to react like a regular vampire. So I'm going to have to decline driving you to school and tell you all to find another means of travel." Bonnie, Stefan, and Elena all looked up at Damon with curious eyes, though Bonnie was pretty sure as to why the man would want to stay home alone.

"Damon are you okay?" Stefan asked with a concerned tone. The older brother merely scoffed and took another sip from his bourbon.

"Dandy," the tipsy vampire responded, "I just woke up this morning and realized that everything I thought was normal isn't. I mean, haven't you guys realized just how fucked up the universe can be sometimes; why are we always dealt with the hand given to us instead of getting the hand we want? Don't you agree, Bonnie?" The witch looked up at the man with eyes of both anger and concern. Angry because of the semi-insulting words he was obviously speaking towards her - concern because she wasn't sure if the drunk vampire would spill about what had happened between the two of them in front of Stefan and Elena.

"Let's just go," Bonnie suggested immediately, pulling up the strap of her purse securely onto her shoulder and heading out of the door in a rush.

"She moves so swiftly…like a bird almost." Damon chuckled at his metaphor of the woman and found it to be hilariously accurate. "Goodbye, little bird!" he called out to the witch before she slammed the door behind her and headed for Stefan's vehicle. "Boy…she's something else." Elena and Stefan looked at each other for a minute before both deciding it would be best to have one of them talk to him.

"Let me talk to him," Elena suggested. "At least we'll know he won't spout out any insults at me to keep from revealing what's wrong." Stefan wasn't necessarily comfortable with leaving his girlfriend around his flirtatious, manipulating drunk brother…but he trusted the woman. He knew she'd never let things get to far between she and Damon. Thus, with a nod of his head, he started to make way outside and waited with Bonnie in his car.

Elena made her way up the stairs one step at a time until she was directly beside Damon. The vampire didn't turn to face the woman but instead continued to drink from his strangely endless glass of bourbon. Narrowing her eyes at the man and hesitantly lifting a hand to his shoulder, she was a bit perplexed as to why the man pulled himself away from her. The solemn vampire took a couple steps away from Elena while his back was faced towards her. It almost seemed like the perfect position for him to face - she had symbolically stabbed him in the back so many times before, but he kept his loyalty true to a fault.

"Damon, what's wrong?" Elena asked before sheepishly holding herself in an attempt to prepare herself for the answer. Damon was silent as he stood where he was without so much as moving. Closing his eyes and dreading the moment he would utter the words he was about to say, the sullen man turned his head back some to acknowledge the woman.

"Why did you choose Stefan?" he softly spoke. Elena was silent as she knew that these would be one of those conversations she dreaded having with the vampire (especially when he was in one of his depressing moods).

"I love him, Damon. You know that." Elena shifted her eyes to the ground and ran a swift hand through her hair.

"And not me." It wasn't a question.

"You know I love you too, Damon. I just…I just…"

"You just what?" The man turned his entire body to face Elena with hurt filled eyes. He tried so hard to appease the woman but was finding it more and more difficult with each passing day. It was almost like he'd take two steps ahead for Elena, but she was taking four steps further with Stefan on her arm. There was no way he'd catch up with her love. "Why am I going through all of this pain when you'll still be attached to Stefan in the end? Why do you carry on and pretend that you care about me when it's so obvious that you don't?"

"Damon, please," the woman urged as she tried not to let the man's emotions get to her. "The way I feel for you is different from the way I feel for Stefan. I admit, I could have been more blunt and upfront in the past when it came to my immediate emotions." Damon shook his head as he began to make his way pass the woman and towards the hallway. Elena quickly followed behind the man and proceeded to speak, "But then I realized that if I truly loved you - if I cared enough for you - I'd tell you the truth."

"And what is the truth, Elena?" Damon questioned with a weak voice.

"The truth is I'm not Katherine, Damon."

"Oh, and I'm guessing that wasn't Stefan's motive for getting with you, eh?"

"Me and Stefan had time to work out the problems within our relationship involving Katherine. It wasn't easy and it didn't happen overnight…but we got through it together."

"You never gave me a chance to work something out with you," Damon told the woman, his eyes watering in drunken pain. "It was always Stefan…with everything it's always Stefan. Damon gets shit."

"You get my friendship…"

"I don't want your fucking friendship, Elena!" Damon screamed out as he tossed his glass of bourbon across the room and shattered it in a million pieces. The woman threw her arms over her head in fright, unsure whether or not the glass was intended to hit her. Slowly creeping from her hiding place underneath herself, Elena gave the man a widened expression of fear. Damon, ashamed that he had allowed for his emotions to boil over the way they did, staggered back and held his head down to the ground. "…I'm sorry," he muttered loud enough for the olive skinned girl to hear. Elena didn't speak for a couple of seconds before finding the strength to speak again.

"It's alright."

"No, it's not."

"Really, Damon, it is."

"You don't get it, Elena." Damon couldn't help but lightly chuckle at what he was about to say to the straight haired woman in front of him. "Something strange is happening to me…and it's getting harder to fight every moment of every day." The woman gave a worried expression, slowly making her way towards the reckless vampire.

"Why, what's wrong?" Damon was silent, unsure how he was to go about telling the woman about her best friend, Bonnie. He knew the witch would light his ass on fire if he uttered so much as a word to Elena, so he found a more subtle approach of telling the woman.

"I thought that if I could control the _situation_, I'd be able to impress you. But it seems the longer I'm around this specific…_dilemma_, my feelings for you begin to stray. And I'm not ready to give up on you Elena. I don't think I ever will be."

"Damon…" Elena was literally at loss for words as she glanced at the man making his way in front of her. He slowly lifted a hand and cupped it under the woman's face, giving a conflicted look as he relished in the moment in which he touched the woman's face that mimicked the feeling of a rose pedal. "…please consider what you're asking of me. I want to be there for you whenever you need me…but you've got to stop this constant struggle you pit yourself with Stefan. Because no matter what, I'm in the middle, and I'll end up being the one getting hurt." Both Damon and Elena were silent as they stared at each other, unsure how to carry the conversation any further. "Look I have to go to school, but we can talk during my lunch break or whatever you want. Just…sober up, okay?"

Damon was silent as he dropped his hand from the woman's face and gave a look of disappointment. To him it seemed as if though the woman constantly refused to see the feelings that he harbored inside for her. Maybe it was a losing battle? Maybe in the end, even if the two were to somehow manifest a relationship, would it really last forever? Could Elena ever love Damon the way she loved Stefan, or even more?

"Yeah, I get it," the man stated before slowly making his way past Elena to reenter his bedroom to sulk under the effects of the alcohol. "But let me bring your attention to something. The world is filled with all kinds of temptations, and lately those temptations had me question my loyalty towards you." Elena shifted uncomfortably, not entire sure why the vampire's statement brought a knot to her stomach. "Tell the witch I said, bye." Giving the man a solemn expression, Elena rushed her way downstairs to meet up with Bonnie and Stefan who were already situated inside of the young Salvatore's car.

Just as she jumped inside, Bonnie and Stefan both spoke in unison, "What'd he say?" Elena exchanged glances between her vampire boyfriend and best friend witch. It was surprising that she hadn't lost her mind and was sent to vacate in a padded room hugging herself. Without revealing too much about the intimacy and seriousness of the actual conversation she had with the blue eyed man, Elena just let out a huge sigh.

"It was nothing really," she started, "he just need to vent out a couple of things."

"Such as?" Bonnie asked with a nervous expression on her face that she quickly erased when Stefan and Elena turned to look at her while she sat in the front passenger seat. "I mean, if I'm going to have somebody protecting me I wanna make sure that person is able to form complete sentences while slurring. Just concerned is all." Stefan narrowed his eyes at the witch, not exactly sure as to why Bonnie had taken a sudden interest in his brother's well-being.

"If it'll make you feel any better, I could skip class altogether and keep a watchful eye out on both you and Elena today." If nothing else in the world, that should have been Bonnie's cue to utter an agreement to Stefan's proposal so that the day would finally run much smoothly. But like the idiot she knew she was, the young woman released a somewhat meager sigh and turned her head towards the mansion to the side of her.

"No…" she started to say in a regretful tone. "…that's only going to complicate things even more than they need to be. Just take Elena to school and I'll skip the day. Besides, someone needs to watch Damon while he's drunk and I'm the only one in this car capable of taking him down a size if he gets too reckless."

"That's awfully noble of you Bonnie, but I wouldn't want you to be a babysitter to Damon and…"

"Look I'll be fine," the witch interrupted before opening her car door and stepping out. "I've been so distracted with everything that's been going on that I haven't even had time to study any concrete spells to use against Katherine and the hooded couple in my Grimoire. I'll just use the extra time to study." Stefan searched for the truth behind Bonnie's lucid green eyes, but was interrupted by the inclusion of Elena's voice.

"Bonnie are you alright?" Elena's concerned question brought on a nervous chuckle from the witch.

"Yes, I'm fine. Why? Am I giving the indication that I'm not fine or something like that, because I totally am fine." The woman's rushed sentence only brought on more suspicion from the Salvatore vampire.

"Fine, Bonnie." Stefan's comment was followed by a light chuckle. The young witch wasted no time in shutting the car door and trailing slowly towards the Salvatore mansion. She heard the car behind her drive away into the distance as her hand gripped the knob of the front door. Turning the knob slowly and steadily making her way inside the eerily quiet mansion, Bonnie made a constant reminder to herself that contact with Damon would have to be kept at a minimum. But beyond that, she would focus on her Grimoire and nothing but her Grimoire.

Silently making he way into the furnished room and ever so lightly shutting the door behind her, Bonnie thought it best to tip-toe her way across the enormous living room and climb her way up the stairs and into her bedroom. Unfortunately before she could reach the stairs, a dark figure made itself present as it slowly exited the dining room.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Damon asked rather angrily. Bonnie heard the tone in his voice and immediately regretted coming back into the mansion. It was painfully obvious that whatever conversation he may have had earlier with Elena left him in a rather foul and unpleasant mood.

"I decided to skip school today and study my Grimoire and make sure you don't go on a drunken rampage in town." The witch responded before making her way up the stairs towards her room. "So if you don't mind, I'd rather we just keep to ourselves and not distract each other. I'll study and you'll…drink." Bonnie was swiftly making her way up towards the stairs but was stopped halfway up when Damon suddenly appeared in front of her. "Damon…please don't do this. I just want to study."

"But don't you feel it Bonnie? Don't you feel the love between us?" The man slipped a hand around the woman's waist and nuzzled his mouth into the woman's neck. The witch immediately pushed the vampire back which caused him to stubble onto the steps behind him. "Awww….that wasn't nice, little bird."

"First of all, don't call me that," Bonnie scolded the man who was lying on the rug covered steps with a stupid smile on his face. "And for the second time, I didn't stay here to get harassed by your drunk ass. Now cut the crap and sober up." Continuing up the stairs more hurriedly, she heard the sound of chuckling increase as she reached her room on the second floor. Stopping in her tracks and looking down at the vampire with a callous expression, she couldn't help but to see a glint in the man's eye. Was he…was he about to cry.

"Y'know it's no wonder I choose to stalk women like Katherine. Because women like Elena won't accept true love in front of them."

"Women like Elena are already involved in relationships," the witch reminded the man with narrow eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. Damon lifted his head up at Bonnie who stood at the top of the stairs with such a confident stance, it only made the vampire chuckle some more in his drunken state.

"And what about you?" Damon asked. The silence that surrounded Bonnie only caused her to clench her jaw as she turned to go for her room. But like before, as soon as the young woman turned away from the vampire to enter her room a few feet away, those ocean blue eyes were once again in front of her and staring her down. "Why do you persist on running away from the inevitable?" Damon asked before placing his hands on his hips, still trying to find his footing.

"What are you talking about?" Bonnie knew what the man was asking, but she would have rather pretended not.

"This thing we've grown to do a lot of; kissing, running away, only to come back and kiss more passionately the next time. So why don't we just get this over with and move on to the bedroom, hmmm? The quicker I can get this…" the man pointed his fingers at Bonnie, "…whatever the hell is going on, out of my system, the better." Bonnie narrowed her eyes at the man and immediately envisioned the pattern in which Damon spoke about.

"I'm not a fucking virus," Bonnie sneered at the man. "So whatever problem you may have, is just that. _Your_ problem." Shoving her way past the man, Bonnie moved her way into her room and prepared to close her door shut when she caught sight of Damon spread out across her bed, a conflicted look on his face. "This disappearing, reappearing act you keep pulling is getting annoying." Bonnie tossed her Grimoire and other belongings on a nearby chair.

"Do you believe in love, Bonnie?" Damon asked the woman who immediately inhaled deeply and exhaled nervously. Why was she having this intimate conversation with the man, she wondered. "Well…do you?"

"I don't know." The young woman's response was rushed along with a shrug of her shoulders. "Now will you go, please?"

"I use to believe in love. A long time ago. But now it just seems like it's all bullshit." Damon scoffed at his comment as he rubbed his eyes, not allowing for his emotions to completely take over. If need be, he'd turn off the "switch" that caused him to react the way he did. "Maybe that's why I'm so infatuated with Elena…because she could fill that void I had for Katherine." Bonnie was silent as her eyes shifted from one area of the room to the next. "And then you come along and just ruin everything. Made me do things that I don't want to do…what I shouldn't do."

"Damon I would appreciate it if you just lef-"

"This is my house, Bennett!" Damon yelled out at the woman. "So think about that before you start ordering people around. Just because you don't know how to handle shit in your own broken home-life doesn't mean you've got the right to come in here and try and run mine."

"Y'know, usually this is the part when I either set your ass on fire or remind you of how much of a dick you are. But considering the circumstances and how pathetically drunk you are…I'm going to let that slide." Bonnie stood where she was and narrowed her eyes at the man before her. It would be so much easier to just walk out of the room and study somewhere else. But Damon had never been so open with the witch before, and frankly she was curious as whether their kiss brought on the sudden change in attitude. Of course him being drunk made him just as miserable as always, but still…

"It's been so long since I've loved…I wouldn't even remember how to love if I was given the chance," Damon muttered.

"Damon, taking into account the obvious things that have transpired between us…I don't feel particularly comfortable talking about this subject with you." Almost instantly the vampire broke out into a hearty laugh. He allowed for the tears he had been subsiding all day to finally roll down his cheeks.

"You know it's funny," the man started, deciding not to respond to the woman's earlier comment. "I've never expressed this much information with my brother, let along a witch like yourself. Then again, I've never kissed a woman twice in a row without feeding from her."

"Well it's like you said," Bonnie started with a more sympathetic tone. "We witches obviously have a strange effect on you."

"Tell me about it. Here I am acting like you; all emotional and talking about my feelings and shit. And there you are standing there like me; trying your hardest to avoid any situation that will involve your emotions." Both Damon and Bonnie looked at one another with conflicted eyes, unsure what was needed to be done to make the exchange between them less awkward.

"Look, Damon…if you wanna talk about something, I don't mind lending an ear."

"No thank you, I've got my own pair. Wow…that was corny as hell." The man's response caused the couple to smile widely at one another. "You have a beautiful smile, you know that?" Instantly Bonnie's smile faded away and was replaced with a look of anger and disappointment. The black haired man gave a weary expression as he watched the young witch turn away from the room and rush for the stairs. Damon immediately got up and ran after her, reaching out with his hand and grabbing the woman as she made her way into the living room on route towards the front door. "Whoa, whoa, whoa…what the hell is wrong now?" The woman's nose flared as she avoided direct contact with the vampire…again.

"You don't even see it do you?" Bonnie asked with a slight chuckle. "I'm not some stupid girl who immediately falls for a guy because he gives her a compliment and few smiles. Unlike you Damon, I don't have the ability to turn off feelings when I want to."

"So you run away and get angry instead?" he asked.

"Yes." she responded quickly.

"When you're feeling something for somebody?"

"Yes."

"So…you've been running away and getting angry because of your feelings for me?"

"Yes…I mean, no!" The woman shook her head quickly as she looked up at the pool of liquid blue eyes. "Look, I'm not trying to understand why we've suddenly grown this weird bond between us. And I'd rather not understand what it is that makes us want to kiss one another."

"Maybe we're not suppose to understand it." The man said in a slur as he tried to interlock his fingers with Bonnie's, but the woman constantly pulled her hands away. She also tried to pry herself from the grip that the man swiftly made around her wrist, but he was way too strong to pull away from.

"Damon, listen to me." The witch's order was stern and serious. "You're drunk and saying things you don't mean which is only making you act more crazy than you usually are. Now what you need to do is go upstairs and lay down for a couple of hours…at least until the alcohol wares off."

"You know I was telling Elena that I was starting to doubt my feelings towards her?" The solemn vampire looked down at his hand which was (to him) lightly gripped around the golden-brown woman.

"You told Elena that?" Bonnie asked worriedly, fearing that he may have said something about "the kiss".

"Well not in those words exactly, and not so precise either. But it was hinted at."

"Well what did you tell her?"

"I told her there was temptation out there that has me questioning a few things."

"Such as?" Bonnie asked nervously. Damon took a step closer, not afraid of their bodies dangerously touching each other while leaning into the woman's ear.

"…you." Damon could literally feel the warm blood pumping throughout her body at an intense speed.

"You don't mean that, you're drunk." The woman challenged the man's motives with a shake of her head, taking a step back and trying to avoid any opportunity of a kiss. But it didn't stop the man from trying to place his lips onto Bonnie's. Turning her head away, the young witch perched her lips and allowed for her hair to instead meet with the vampire's lips. Damon chuckled lightly.

"Playing hard to get?" he asked.

"No, I'm playing Elena's best friend," Bonnie snapped back. "No matter what, she always will be. And I would never do anything so stupid to jeopardize that."

"And that leaves me with what?" His tone took on a more aggressive one. "Hmm? Everybody gets what they want, and all I get is rejection every second. Quite honestly, I'm a little tired of it."

"I'm not sure what you're looking for in me?" Taking a minute to stare at the young woman in front of him, the drunk vampire flicked Bonnie's hand away as he went to flop down on the large red couch in front of the dying fireplace, his back facing the young woman.

"You're right. This is all just a waste of time." The man ran his hands over his hair and focused his attention on the chard piece of wood that was inside the fireplace. In a lot of ways, the man almost felt like that was what his heart looked like; lifeless and burnt to crisp after having placed it in the care of others. "I guess I'll just have to wait for this scenario to happen in another 150 years." There was more silence between the couple, with either one of them not knowing what to say to the other. Bonnie ran a hand through her hair and started to make her way into the living room where Damon laid.

Goodness…she actually preferred him when he wasn't so damn emotional.

"Look, you want the truth?" The vampire didn't respond but the witch continued anyway. "The truth is that I'm scared. These feelings and emotions we're starting to harbor for each other is too much to handle. I mean, most of the memories I have of you are not the most pleasant nor do they constitute for any kind of relationship. Like, no relationship at all." The man was still frozen on the couch as he focused all his attention to the fireplace in front of him. "Damon, would you please look at me?" But much to her dismay, the man did not comply. So she took it upon herself to force the man to look at her by making her way around the large couch and hesitantly sitting beside him while holding herself tightly. "I'm trying to save us both heartache, Damon. If you're hinting at what I think you're hinting…then you're more drunk than I thought."

"I already told you…I'm not _that_ drunk." They both went silent again. Neither of them moved or made a sound. It was amazing how one split second decision from Bonnie could be the catalyst of so much current drama between she and Damon. "You should go study your Grimoire," the vampire suggested silently, feeling himself slowly crashing from the alcohol high. "I've wasted enough time trying to make sense out of nothing. Whatever." Bonnie contemplated whether or not she should comply to the man's order.

"I've got time." the woman responded silently. The witch and vampire sat inches away from each other, staring at the burnt log in the fireplace. She wasn't sure why, but Bonnie couldn't help but stare at the streak on the vampire's cheek left on by the tear that rolled down earlier. In the back of her mind, she knew she'd be better off just ignoring it and continue sitting patiently on the couch. But like two opposing magnets, the witch felt her hand force its way up to Damon's cheek; softly wiping away at the streak mark made by the defiant tear.

"You're putting us in another compromising position," Damon reminded the woman as she stopped stroking her finger against the vampire's cool cheek. Immediately the man gave a small grin as he looked over at the nervous young witch, guessing that she felt stupid for once again falling for the urges that were dictating her actions. Just then, the vampire reached his arm around Bonnie and pulled her in closer to him. For a moment the woman went stiff and was unsure how to react with the man's finger's trialing up and down her arm. "Don't worry, Bennett," the man started to say slyly, "I won't bite."

"Good, then I won't have to light your ass on fire again." Bonnie responded which made the vampire stop stroking her arm momentarily only to continue a few seconds later with a chuckle.

"I think I could learn to like you."

"You're not _that_ drunk."

"Seriously," Damon muttered to the woman with gazing eyes. "You're not half bad."

"What about all the attempted murder cases between us?" Bonnie asked, feeling more comfortable with Damon's heavy arm over her and his cold fingers grazing softly against her golden skin. The vampire gave a guilty expression as he tried not to allow the alcohol to take over ever little emotion within him.

"I deserved ever murder attempt by you…I won't deny that." Bonnie couldn't believe what she was hearing as she lifted her head up to look at the man who glared down at her with such beautifully haunting eyes. The sincerity within them only ensured the witch that something in this very moment between she and the vampire was real and intimate. Something told her that this moment wouldn't be like the other two moments she had shared with Damon; these moments would not be regrettable. It took no time for Bonnie to lift herself up from the couch and press her lips to the lips of Damon.

Neither one of them tried to pull away, or hesitate under each others' touch, or fantasize that they were kissing somebody else. No - for the first time they knew what they were doing…and they didn't care.

As they both stopped, their hands on each other's faces, Damon couldn't help but smile as he opened his eyes to glance at a sobbing Bonnie Bennett.

"Why are you crying?" he asked before closing his eyes to give the woman another kiss.

"Because," the woman began to respond, "I feel like I'm betraying my Grams' memory. Like I'm turning my back on the entire Bennett legacy. Like I'm actually feeling something for you, and I don't know if this is the right thing for me to do?" Damon couldn't help but stroke the woman's black hair softly, listening to the woman's plea. "I'm suppose to hate you…not feel something inside. Something good and wonderful and welcoming."

"I'm suppose to be using you…not releasing my emotions through you to the point that I'm drawn to you. I'm not suppose to care, but I do, Bonnie. I care for your well being and your existence and it isn't because of Emily's promise. No - I care because for some reason I _want _to care for you."

They both slowly opened their eyes and stared at each other as they sat on the red couch in front of the fireplace that suddenly began to burn a blaze. Between the two of them, it was clearly obvious that while kissing each other, Bonnie somehow started a fire in the fireplace.

"What do we do? We…we can't tell Stefan and Elena." Bonnie stated hesitantly, not wanting her words to (strangely) hurt Damon's feelings..

"We can't tell anyone," the man simply suggested. "Not until we find out what's going on between us."

"Agreed."

"And Bonnie?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for coming back."

"Your welcome."

Damon laid his chin above the woman's head while she rested the side of her face upon his hard chest.

"And Damon?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for caring." It was silent for a moment as the couple looked on at the fireplace before them, their arms clutching each other in a way that was more passionate than any kiss exchanged. Damon gave a toothy grin as he opened his mouth to speak:

"…your welcome."

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**SO the adventure begins. How will Bamon survive this (thus far) unofficial relationship? SO many questions, so little time. Hope you all enjoyed the story and remember feedback is always much appreciated. Have a very Merry Christmas and have a safe New Year. Peace :)**


	17. First Date

**First off let me say that I have the most influential, positive readers this side of Fanfiction. Some of the comments you've all left were so beautifully overwhelming that I didn't know if I'd be able to meet expectations for the next chapter, but luckily I came up with something that will be acceptable for you all. I'm hoping this chapter will be met with another chapter soon after considering the Holiday season is pretty much over with (which was great BTW). SO without holding you all up again, I made this chapter UBBBER LONG for your reading pleasure. PLZ enjoy! :)

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**Chapter 17 - First Date**

Damon Salvatore woke up with a grin on his face; a feat that didn't happen on many mornings without good reason. But his reasoning's were well within justifiable, and it made his facial gesture seem all the more natural and warm. Soon after he and Bonnie spoke about their apparent feelings towards one another the day before, the dark-haired vampire spent a majority of the day asleep in a drunken stupor with Bonnie clutched close to his cold, hard body. It wasn't until he awoke to find Elena and Stefan home from school did the caramel skinned witch disappear into the guest bedroom upstairs. Though it was the longing to touch her warm skin and losing himself in those glistering emerald eyes of Bonnie's made the vampire want to drop the charade and let the world know what was really going on.

Sadly Damon couldn't ignore the lingering feelings he had gravitating towards Elena, and the impeccable amount of dedication he issued to being a promiscuous bachelor. Surely Bonnie was a nice girl to call "his own" for a while, but did he really see a future with this girl?

Not really sure.

Would he instantly drop everything he built for Elena just to spend a moment with Bonnie?

Fat chance.

But for some strange, odd reason he couldn't give an explanation as to why he would form an unofficial relationship with the hot-tempered witch in the first place? Why he, despite his feelings for Elena, still felt something inside for Bonnie that obviously amounted to more than physical attraction? It didn't make sense - none of it made sense. Yet Damon still awoke with a grin, a slight hangover, and an overwhelming yearning to seeing Bonnie that morning. Maybe it was because of the day he had planned for the both of them, especially since Bonnie only had another two days to spend at the Salvatore Mansion. Either way, today would indeed be their first date.

Damon arose from under his silk sheets in nothing but a pair of black boxer-briefs that fitted to the lower half of his body tightly. Scratching his messy hair with one hand and rubbing the pale defined peck on his chest with his other hand, the blue-eyed man instantly moved at vampire speeds to prepare for the day ahead; taking his shower, combing his hair, applying lotion and cologne, getting dressed, and gathering his belongings took literally 5 minutes to do.

The blessings of vampirism.

Upon exiting his room and looking down his many hallways, Damon opted to take the route that would lead him into Bonnie's room. With his super hearing, the man could hear rustling in the witch's room which clarified to him that the young woman was up and probably preparing for the day as well. While the man's grin on his face only grew wider, he reached out with his slender hand and turned the knob on the closed door which revealed on the other side a dressing Bennett witch with her shirt halfway on. Damon arched an eyebrow and flashed his teeth at the sight, instantly fantasizing multiple ways of devouring the woman (pun intended). He said nothing as Bonnie put on her shirt completely before turning around and giving a frightened yelp. The mischievous man merely chuckled at the witch's reaction of him before making his way into her room, watching as she clutched her chest with her hands while giving him a serious expression.

"You could've knocked, y'know?" Bonnie said sternly before going over to the open door and shutting it softly. She didn't want to risk Elena and Stefan (whom were still in the house) to overhear both she and Damon's conversation. But in all honesty, if Elena weren't in the picture, Damon wouldn't have cared so much who saw the two of them together. Sure it would cause a lot of folks in Mystic Falls to scratch their heads and give snickering glances…but the vampire lived for that kind of attention. Anything less would be unjust.

"And a good morning to you to as well," Damon uttered out cheerfully, making his way slowly in front of the still startled woman. "Tell me, just how many more demands do you plan on spitting out at me? If you haven't noticed by now I don't take too kindly to people giving me orders…especially in my own house." Bonnie placed her hands upon her hips and tried her hardest to hide the growing grin that began to stretch across her face with every inch Damon closed in between them.

"Well in that case, I guess I'll just have to take my services to somebody else's house and…" but before the woman had a chance to turn and walk off, Damon snatched her into his arms and leaned down to give the witch a passionate kiss. Even though they both saw the kiss coming, every time their respected lips made contact with each other it was a burst of satisfying surprise. The tall man felt an added heaviness on his shoulders when Bonnie lifted her arms to rest upon him, grabbing a fistful of his hair with one of her hands. When they both pulled away from one another and smiling like the fresh couple they were, Damon looked deep into the woman's eyes and subtly stroked the back of the young woman's hair.

"I guess I can take a command or two," he muttered lowly for precaution that Stefan was nearby.

"Good." Bonnie smiled widely before dropping her hands and moving her way to the bed behind her where her belongings laid. "Anyway, I was wondering if you'd be able to drop me off at school earlier today? I got a lot to catch up on in history class, and if I want to maintain that A I have, I gotta…"

"Sorry your request has been denied," Damon abruptly interrupted before making his way to the bed alongside Bonnie. He picked up her Grimier (which he wouldn't have been so bold to have done a mere couple days ago) and began to flip through it's pages, studying the odd remedies a lot of the spells required. "You're not going to school today." Bonnie narrowed her eyes and gave a look of confusion.

"I'm sorry?" the woman asked wanting to make sure she heard correctly.

"I said you're not going to school today." Damon dropped the Grimoire in his hands and turned to face Bonnie with one of his overconfident signature smiles.

"_Now_ who's being demanding?" Bonnie challenged the vampire in front of her, crossing her arms over her chest; Damon internally hated when she did that. "And why wouldn't I be going to school today?"

"Because you and I are both going out." Damon turned around to make his way towards the door and proceed out of the room, but not before the woman used her telekinetic ability to force the door from the vampire's hands and slam shut. The blue-eyed playboy had to take a step back in surprise, having to remind himself that he was in a room with a Bennett witch; of course she'd be able to accomplish such an ability so flawlessly.

"Nice trick," the man said with his back still turned to Bonnie, but his toothy grin still visible to even the most foggy-sighted man.

"I do more than just carry that Grimoire around," the young woman reminded the man as she slowly made her way towards him, stopping a few inches behind him. Standing on his toes to speak over his broad shoulder, Bonnie continued to speak softly, "But that's besides the point - what is this whole _going out_ thing? I thought were going to keep this thing between us," - she motioned her hands between herself and Damon - "a secrete?" Damon turned himself around and faced the suspicious looking Bennett witch.

"We're just going out…what's the problem?" the vampire teased. "It's not like I said the word 'date'."

"Good," Bonnie quickly interjected. "Because I'm not ready for any dates, or the likes of 'em. I just want to take each step forward with ease…there's no need to rush things, especially when we're just trying to figure some _things_ out."

"Bennett, you are such a buzz kill."

"Yeah well, you should be use to it by now Salvatore."

"There's nothing to get use to…I assure you that'll brake you of that habit sooner than you can pull that witchy ju-ju mind-trick on my brain again."

"You of all people should know better than to challenge me in anything," Bonnie said with a grin, taking steps back to the bed in the middle of the room. "In the meantime, you better get going. I don't want to have to explain to Stefan or Elena why you're sneaking out of my room."

It didn't take long for the man to obey Bonnie's command as he strutted out of the female's sleeping quarters and ventured out towards the grand staircase. With his slick black jacket already on and his mind set for the day he had planned for both he and Bonnie, Damon only pumped himself into being the lady killer he had always proven to be (no pun intended). That was until the swift appearance of Elena showed up and shattered his current thought altogether. Suddenly the smile that was once planted on the menacing vampire's face became a whimpering, solemn expression. His once overbearing attitude was brought down a couple notches as the brunette slowly made her way in front of her…with Stefan on her arm.

'_Of course she's on his arm_', Damon thought before shifting his eyes away towards the wall, trying not to the let the sight before him upset him too much. '_She's always on his arm_'.

"Morning, Damon." Elena's voice still had a way of making the hairs on Damon's arm stand on end.

"Elena…Stefan. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Damon's sarcastic smile only brought on a huge sigh from Stefan, who immediately began to brood at his brother's approach.

"Nothing…just a bunch of supernatural nonsense roaming around town and threatening the very people I care about." Elena's response to the vampire's question came as a surprise to the man, whom gave a wide eyed expression of confusion. Just the same, Elena wasted no time in letting go of Stefan's arm and making her way towards Bonnie's room. Damon watched the woman walk away, both perplexed at the woman's demeanor and somewhat nervous she was making her way into Bonnie's room.

"You see, Stefan," Damon began to say as he turned to look at his solemn brother, "Elena is beginning to pick up on your depressing deposition. Now is that at all fair to the girl? Most of all, is it fair to me? I don't think so."

"Things are starting to get worse, Damon." Stefan's response was low as he went to place a hand on his brother's shoulder and lead them both down the stairs towards the mini bar. "More deaths are occurring around town and the next full moon is coming sooner with every moment we waste. We keep coming up with so many more questions and not enough answers about this stupid moonstone, and now Elena is about ready to give up on everything." Damon narrowed his eyes as he looked over his shoulders at the grand staircase that Elena was located at the top of. "How is Bonnie coming along with her magic?" The older Salvatore brother was brought back to reality at the mention of the Bennett witch's name.

"Oh…yeah, Bonnie's good." The blue-eyed vampire gave a quick smile which vanished not too soon after being flashed. With a strained expression and tilted head, Stefan leaned himself against the mini bar and moved in closer to his sibling.

"Damon, are you and Bonnie getting along at all?" the brooding man asked. Damon's eyes narrowed a bit as he tried to make sense of where his brother was hinting at.

"Maybe…why?"

"No specific reason…I just hope that you two don't let your differences get in the way of what's important. Like trying to take down this hooded couple, and learning the secrete of the moonstone, and trying to figure out how exactly Katherine fits into all of this…"

"And the Tyler boys, we can't forget about them," Damon interrupted. He really didn't want to discuss his current relationship with Stefan, so he was prepared to stray the conversation in another direction. "They want Bonnie to help them with an assumed unbreakable curse…why?"

"That's another point I wanted to bring up," Stefan interrupted sternly which brought on a huge sigh from Damon. "Everybody is doing their part to find out what's going on in this town and how we're able to get control of the chaos. You and Bonnie haven't really been contributing a lot of facts or clues or anything concrete to use against these people."

"What's your point?" Damon asked with a clenched jaw.

"You two have obviously been distracted by one another." Damon cut his eyes away and shifted rather uncomfortably, catching the immediate attention of Stefan who moved in closer to his brother. "And the last thing we need is you two biting each others' heads off because of your hate for one another."

"Hate…right." Damon mumbled under his breath though his younger brother could still hear much to his dismay.

"Hate, dislike, uncompromising; use whatever word you want to describe your relationship with Bonnie, just realize you need to fix it." Damon, trying his hardest not to smile at his brother's accusation, perched his lips together and nodded his head as if though he was complying with everything Stefan had told him.

"I'll do my best," Damon said before patting his younger sibling on the shoulder and making way into the living room. '_If he only knew_', he thought.

The moments after Elena and Stefan left for school came as swiftly to Damon as his ability to kill. As soon as Bonnie was finished dressing and gathering all of her belongings, the male vampire lead them both out of the mansion and to his black Chevy Camaro. Once they were both securely inside the vehicle, Damon began to drive the two of them towards their planned destination. It took a while to arrive where they needed to be, forcing the couple to engage in small talk and bickering. However when the vampire and witch arrived at their rendezvous, it brought on a somewhat perplexed look from Bonnie. Lifting herself up from her seat and nearly pressing her face to the car window, the young woman turned her head back towards Damon and narrowed her eyes.

"A bar?" Bonnie asked perplexed. "This is your idea of a date?"

"Well I couldn't go anywhere within Mystic Falls without being caught by suspicious eyes, now could I?" Damon pulled his car into an empty space in the parking lot. "Besides this isn't a date, remember?" After giving the woman a seductive grin, he hopped out of the driver's seat and rushed over to Bonnie's door and opened it widely for her. Bonnie hesitantly got out of the car while all the while keeping her eyes plastered on the mischievous vampire. She wasn't exactly sure what the man may have had planned in terms of taking her to a bar, but she wouldn't allow anything to go beyond kissing. As soon as the man closed the witch's door, he wrapped his arm around the timid girl and began to lead the two of them towards the establishment.

"You do realize I'm underage?" Bonnie asked. "I mean the simple prospect of me under the arm of a one hundred and fifty year old man is more than breaking a few laws in this country, let alone drinking beer."

"Oh, Bonnie," Damon teased the woman with a sigh. "If there is one thing you need to learn about us vampires, especially one as dashing as I, is that if we want something…we simply take it." The young witch should have taken the man's words in utter disgust for it's unspoken meaning, however she could do nothing more but blush under the golden brown complexion of her skin.

Upon walking in the bar which was fairly spares of any people (considering it was still early in the morning), Damon with Bonnie on his arm walked up to the rectangular bar that was surrounded with alcohol and stickers with witty comments on them. The bartender, a middle aged balding man with hairy arms, leaned against the counter of his bar as he examined Damon and Bonnie walking swiftly towards him.

"Damon Salvatore…aren't you a sight for sore eyes," the bartender exclaimed rather loudly, though nobody within the establishment took interest to examine. The vampire merely smiled as he went to take a seat on a stool situated in front of the rectangular bar.

"Kenny, I want you to round me and this young lady up with some drinks and curly fires." The bartender, Kenny, looked Bonnie up and down quite perversely before shifting his eyes to the dark-haired vampire.

"Not a problem, just get this _young lady_ of yours to show me some I.D. and I'll be more than happy to oblige." Damon couldn't help but smile widely as he leaned in closer to Kenny, immediately using his ability of compulsion on the mortal man.

"I think we can do well without that rather tedious act, wouldn't you agree." The smug smile that was once on Kenny's face immediately diminished into a hypnotizing grin upon his lips.

"S-Sure…I was just being stupid. It's not like I can't trust you, right?"

"Of course you can't." Bonnie looked on at the exchange without peeping a word. She wasn't sure how she felt about Damon using compulsion on an innocent human being. "And just a reminder, this is on the house. Now go get those drinks and fries."

"Of course. Anything in particular to drink?"

"Surprise me."

As Kenny made his departure from in front of the couple, Damon turned in his seat to glance at a disappointed Bonnie. Rolling his eyes and already aware of why the woman was fuming, the man gave a sarcastic smile before opening his mouth to speak.

"Judging again," the vampire muttered aloud. Bonnie crossed her arms over her chest.

"It's kind of hard not to judge when every human interaction I see you in involves deceit and manipulation." Bonnie's words were serious but her tone was soft. "Besides, I'm not that thirsty."

"Bonnie, sooner or later you're going to discover that this crusade to get me to be a "better person" is just going to tire you out. So why don't you just do yourself a favor and let the universe play out the way it's suppose to." The young woman couldn't help but turn away from the man and lean forward against the bar counter. Damon could see that his actions and words had once again found a way of pissing off the witch and it baffled him as to why. "You know sometimes I think you'd like me better if I wasn't who I was." The comment forced Bonnie to chuckle aloud as she grinned and shifted her eyes around the bar.

"Do you think it'd kill ya to be a little nicer to people?"

"Yes; yes I do think it would kill me." Damon watched as Bonnie squinted her eyes before glancing at him. "Was I not nice to you after you supposedly deactivated the Gilbert Device? And where did that get me?" Bonnie looked away. "It got me trapped in a basement about to be burned to a crisp with a handful of other vampires." Silence befell the two of them as Kenny made his way in front of the two of them with two giant glasses of beer and a greasy basket of curly fries.

"I'll be back to refill when you're ready," the bartender said.

Damon and Bonnie sat beside one another, neither touching their drinks or fries, but instead looking down at the dark stained carpet that surrounded the bar. It was hard for Damon to try and lose that bickering habit he had built with the emerald eyed beauty. Though he worked to be more tolerable to the witch, it was just hard to completely drop all the negativity that had transpired over the course of a year. But he knew that if either of them wanted to see where their "relationship" was going they'd have to compromise somehow.

He'd hate it…but he'd do it.

"I'm sorry," Bonnie whispered before lifting her eyes to the slim vampire. "I should have realized by now that my world is no longer what it was a couple years back. I can't keep fooling myself into thinking that the impossible isn't possible, or that normality is the only option I have in this life. I'm a witch, you're a vampire, and we're both drinking beers and eating curly fries in a bar. When you think about it I guess I'm just wasting my time trying to change anything in this crazy world."

"Not true," Damon interrupted with a serious gaze. "You come from a long line of witches who have dedicated their lives to protecting what they love and standing up for what they believe in, and you are by far the toughest of them all." Bonnie took a moment to let the man's words soak in her brain before turning away bashfully. A smile crept it's way across the vampire's face as he saw the transition.

"How can I go from being mad at you for one minute to wanting to kiss you the next?" Bonnie admitted aloud. Damon leaned in closer to the woman.

"So you want to kiss me, huh?" the cocky vampire uttered, a look of pure triumph on his face.

"Maybe," the young woman responded teasingly. "But I guess we'll see how the day goes."

"You like me don't you?" Damon asked. " I mean you talk about my flaws every chance you can get, but the truth of the matter is that if you didn't like me why put up with me?" The grin on Bonnie's face didn't diminish for one second of that comment.

"I'll admit, you've got that right amount of bad boy appeal most girls look for. And yes, I'd be lying if I said I didn't find you the least bit attractive. So yes, I like you."

"How much do you like me?"

"What are we in middle school now?"

"Come on, lets just be honest for a minute. Please?" Damon gave a sympathetic look that he was sure Bonnie wouldn't be able to say no to. And, of course, he was right.

"I'll tell you if you tell me first." Damon thought over the woman's proposal before shrugging his shoulders and swiftly agreeing to her suggestion.

"I like you because you stay true no matter what…except for when it came to me." Bonnie wasn't entirely sure what the man meant. "You vowed a hatred for vampires and promised to kill me whenever the chance would arise. But you see that's just the thing…the chance _did_ arise, and plenty of times. You could have easily killed me countless of times in the past but you didn't." The young witch was hesitant to open her mouth to speak, but Damon lifted up a finger and stopped her before she got the chance to. "I know you're going to say that all those times before were strictly for Elena's benefit, but I have a hard time believing that excuse. As much as you wanted to be my executioner, you couldn't help but be my savior as well."

"Damon…I…" Bonnie was at loss of words when the man stood from his seat and stood directly beside the witch, his tall slim body casting a giant shadow over her.

"Bonnie I don't know what's going on between us, and quite honestly at this moment I don't care. For the first time in my eternity I've met somebody who has made life exciting again. Somebody that is able to keep me on my toes and show me that forgiveness is not just a cliché carried out in cheesy romance movies." Bonnie chuckled and Damon lifted a hand to the woman's face gently. "Somebody who's laugh can make the hair on my arm stand on end and the unbeaten heart in my chest jump in anticipation."

"You're just saying that." Bonnie muttered aloud, sure that all the things Damon was feeling was on account of Elena. The vampire knew that Elena would be a huge issue in terms of Bonnie believing any of his affections. He couldn't deny the love he had for his younger brother's girlfriend was a hard love to break, but it wasn't without the temptation that was Elena's best friend, Bonnie Bennett. Somehow the vampire found himself in a soap opera scenario without asking for it.

"Would you believe me if I told you that what I'm feeling goes well beyond just _liking_?" Damon asked. The young woman looked up at the handsome man with weary eyes and a gapped mouth. He couldn't possibly be talking about what she thought he was talking about, especially so soon after they were still trying to figuring out stuff between them.

"You don't love me, Damon." Bonnie told the man seriously.

"How do you know that?"

"Just because we've developed some form of a crush on one another isn't merit for love."

"Maybe not for you, but I move faster than most."

"Damon," Bonnie stood from her seat and looked up at the vampire with cautious eyes, "what you're uttering are very dangerous words. Love can easily be mistaken for something so much less and all it's going to cause in the end is heartache."

"So you think I'm going to break your heart?"

"Yes - yes I do. But more so, I think I'll break yours as well" Bonnie dropped her head back down towards the ground and flopped on the seat behind her. "You've gone through so much with Katherine, a woman you thought loved you but was only using you. Then you have Elena who loves you, but again not in the way you view love to be. I don't want to be another woman in your life that can't supply you with the love you're looking for. I don't want to hurt you because, even though it may not be entirely love, I care too much to allow that to happen."

"You may not want to be like Elena…but you sure as hell are beginning to sound like her," Damon said disappointingly. Bonnie looked up at the man who went to isolate himself at a table in a nearby corner, taking his drink with him. The man wasn't sure why he felt it necessary to tell the witch something so serious so soon after they've profess little to one another, but that was just who Damon was. He was rash and usually acted without thinking first. Thus when it came to his emotions, he never second guessed. If he felt like he was starting to feel love for Bonnie…then dammnit that was what was happening. Than again maybe that was why the women in his life that he cared for never stayed around…he in some form or fashion scared them away. In fact, he wouldn't be too surprised if Bonnie just decided to take leave from the bar at that moment in time.

However quite the opposite happened.

The footsteps that reached Damon's table prompted him to look up from the drink in his hands and observe a frustrated looking Bonnie.

"You know, every time I disagree with something you say doesn't give you the right to runaway."

"I'm not running away."

"Okay…walking away."

"Just forget I said anything," Damon mumble before taking a sip from his foamy beer.

"I can't forget," the young witch responded while taking a couple steps forward, "you've shared with me something that I didn't take too seriously until just a couple seconds ago."

"It's alright, Bonnie…I don't need you to understand."

"But I do. You see…I want to understand everything we're feeling if we're hoping to accomplish anything together."

"So what are you saying - that you suddenly love me now?"

"No; I don't love you Damon." The woman's words were no surprise to the man as he continued to take sips from his huge glass of beer. "But that doesn't mean I'm unable to. It may be too soon for me to personally say the words, but I could learn to love if you give me the chance to. If you're willing to wait just a bit longer…don't shut me out, Damon. We've come too far to get to this point." Damon stopped drinking his beer mid-sip to glance up at the young witch. She wasn't nervous or weary of just how sure she was about her words. No…she knew exactly what she was saying to the man, and for some reason it made that anticipation within him increase.

This was who he was looking for.

This was what he needed.

"So what do you say?" Bonnie continued, "You wanna go a couple more rounds together and try not to bite each others' heads off in the process…no pun intended." Damon smiled as he slid over and allowed room for the young witch to sit. Bonnie went to situate herself by Damon, leaning herself against his body as his arms wrapped tightly around her. She looked up at the man and used her finger to wipe excess beer foam from his lips, wiping it on his shirt in childish play. The vampire merely laughed to himself.

"If you're up for a challenge, I'm all but prepared to go toe to toe." Damon's words were serious as he was willing to make this relationship work between he and Bonnie. The two of them held each other as he continued to drink his beer.

"This won't be easy."

"Love never is."

"_Step into the movie,_

_You can be my leading man._

_Break into the silence,_

_So your heart can understand. _

_Step into the movie,_

_We can walk along the sand._

_Let me stand beside you,_

_Put your life into my hands…"_

Bonnie's ringtone to her cell went off in her pocket that she immediately dug for with her fingers.

"Does there always have to be something distracting us?" Damon said irritated as he sipped more of his beer. Bonnie merely perched her lips as she answered her phone and pressed it against her ear.

"Hello?" Bonnie greeted the voice on the receiving end of the phone.

"Hi, Bonnie." A familiar voice on the opposing end caught the witch's attention almost immediately. Narrowing her eyes, Damon watched as the brown eyed woman lifted her body off of him and leaned forward against the table in front of her.

"Elena?" Bonnie uttered aloud which immediately caused both Damon and Bonnie to somehow stray away from each other.

"Nope," the voice on the other end whispered softly. "Try again." The Salvatore vampire watched as the witch's expression went hard and weary. He knew in a matter of seconds just who was speaking on the other of Bennett's phone.

"What do you want Katherine?" Bonnie's voice was harsh and low, almost a growl.

"I told you already silly…I want you. Or rather, I need you to stay away from Damon so that I won't have any more distractions in the near future."

"Fuck you." The witch's insult was only met with a rude laugh.

"Funny…you're starting to sound more and more like him."

"How did you get my number?"

"Oh, well that was quite easy. See your father here has a knack for inviting pretty much anybody into his home, thus it took no time for me to come in and find your number in his cell." Damon watched as Bonnie jumped from her seat and immediately ran out of the car towards Damon's black Chevy. The black haired vampire followed swiftly beside her as they both jumped in his car and started on their way towards Bonnie's home. "I'm assuming Damon is there with you?" Katherine's voice was almost that of irritation as she spoke. "Let me speak with him."

"You better not hurt my father you heartless bitch!" The witch's threat was met with a few idle seconds of silence before the sound of a man's scream irrupted on the other end.

The scream of her father.

"I don't think you understand the position I'm in, Bennett." Katherine's voice was almost drowned out by the agonizing scream of Mr. Bennett. "You may have caught me off guard last time, but that doesn't mean I don't still have the upper hand here. Now let me speak with Damon…now!" It was silent as Damon continued to speed down the highway towards the Bennett residence. Before long the crying witch put her phone on speaker and told the female vampire to speak with the blue-eyed Salvatore. "Hello, Damon."

"Is this what you've been reduced to Katherine?" the man asked between clenched teeth.

"Don't pretend like you're unfamiliar with the act, Damon.," Katherine teased. "This is merely business, nothing personal…at least not completely. Give me the girl and the Bennett wizard lives." Bonnie narrowed her eyes at the woman's comment. _'Bennett…wizard?' _she thought.

"Over my dead body," he responded immediately. It went silent for a moment as the sudden screaming on the other end suddenly ceased. "Katherine?" No response was given. "Katherine?"

"She hung up," Bonnie said as she examined her cellular phone. "We have to hurry, Damon." The man merely nodded his head as they drove another five minutes towards the Bennett home, with the Salvatore vampire being the first to jump out of the car and use his supernatural speed to make his way into the house.

Shaking uncontrollably and struggling to take her seatbelt off, Bonnie resulted in using her telekinesis to rip the strap from over her. Jumping out of the car and staggering up her steps to the open front door, the young witch glanced around at a familiar sight: Everything inside had been demolished; chairs turned over, pictures on the ground, blood on the wall - a vicious sight. She knew this sight all too well. It was the vision she had a week ago when she touched the broken glass from her coffee cup. However it seemed she read into the vision completely wrong…it wasn't Damon who was responsible for all of this, but instead Katherine.

Noticing the unmoving body of Mr. Bennett laying in the middle of her living room floor made her shiver uncontrollably. Blood trailed down the side of his mouth as the quiet atmosphere was strangely interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Suddenly a figure walked into view and caught the woman completely off guard. His face was sad and his mouth also dripping with blood. The figure was no less than Damon Salvatore and his voice sent an eerie shiver down the woman's spine.

"Don't give me those judgey little eyes," he murmured.

Usually this was the part when her vision stopped, but instead it continued in a way she didn't think possible. Scaling her eyes down at Damon's arm, she could see the healing bite mark he had inflicted upon himself in order to give blood to Mr. Bennett. Almost instantly, Mr. Bennett began to choke out some of the blood the Salvatore vampire placed in his mouth, bringing him back into consciousness. Rushing over to her father's side, Bonnie wrapped her arms around the man and held him tightly while sobbing uncontrollably.

"B-Bonnie…w-what, happened? What h-happened…?"

"It's alright daddy, it's alright. You're okay." Looking up at Damon and mouthing the words 'thank you', the man merely nodded his head as he knelled down towards Mr. Bennett and Bonnie.

"Bonnie…Bonnie who is this man?" Mr. Bennett asked. Both the witch and the vampire exchanged glances before Damon decided to speak up.

"I can compel him, Bonnie. He can forget…"

"No," the weeping witch interrupted. "There are way too many secrets that are causing the people I love to fall victim to danger. I thought keeping away from home would help keep my dad safe…but I've only just invited more chaos to seep through." Bonnie turned her attention to her father and gave a sad expression. "Dad…there's something I've got to tell you. Something I've been trying to keep you safe from all these months." Mr. Bennett looked on at his daughter with bloodshot red eyes before gasping at the unprepared sight of Damon.

"You better take a seat on that tacky couch of your Mr. Bennett," the vampire started, "This is going to be a long morning."

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**This IS going to be a long morning, at least for Bonnie/Damon/Mr. Bennett. We're coming to the chapters that will tie all of these stories together and explain motives of of every character. Lets hope this turns out for the better for our couple...until next time, I'll get the next chap up soon (I PROMISE!) As always your comments are much appreciate (good or bad) and I Thnx u for the endless support. Peace :)**


	18. Revelations

**First off, let me once again apologize for letting it take so long for this chapter to come out. Let me start off by saying that I've come up with a solution that should decrease the spacing between the releasing of these Chapters. Thus I've dedicated a couple weeks to writing nothing but chapters to RIACW so that I can have a new chapter up every three days. SOoooo, come Sunday night there WILL BE A NEW CHAPTER UP! XD**

**Yeah, it's not THAT exciting, but for those of you awesome people that have been dedicated with this story and have been generous through and through...it's probably a pretty big deal. But again I apologize...sometimes real life can suck :P lol**

**But that's neither here nor there, as I have a new Chapter for you all. Now I must admit this isn't my most favorite chapter in the world, but it does set up the scene for a Bamon moment that none of you will see coming. Or maybe you do? **

**Also, here's a video I made awhile back that I pretty much based "Rose in a Concrete World" (just replace the word "DOTS" with actual DOTS/PERIODS):**

http:/www(DOT)youtube(DOT)com/watch?v=LWOOqn6Cv2U

**We'll soon see. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 18 - Revelations**

Bonnie handed her father a damp towel for him to place on the back of his sore head. Mr. Bennett gave a weak smile to show his appreciation before shifting his eyes towards Damon Salvatore whom was leaning against the side of the Bennett's fireplace. There were so many questions unanswered…between both daughter and father.

"Bonnie, do you wanna tell me exactly what is going on here?" Mr. Bennett asked before turning his attention solely on his daughter. The young woman swallowed the lump in her throat before going to sit on the couch and looking him deep in his chocolate eyes.

"Dad…remember all those things Grams use to tell us about the Bennett family, and the magical history behind it?" Mr. Bennett gave a worrisome look as he shifted his eyes once again towards Damon.

"Bonnie just what are you trying to tell me?" he asked.

"Dad, when Grams said there were powerful witches in our family…she meant me as well." The man gave a frightened expression as if though he were about to be attacked by some deadly force. "I'm a witch." Mr. Bennett didn't know why he did it, but he popped up from his seat and immediately began to pace back and forth in front of his daughter. "I know this is probably a bizarre concept to wrap your head around right now, and I know how much you hate it whenever I talk about the Bennett witches and…"

"You wait till now to tell me this?" Mr. Bennett scolded his daughter sternly, dropping the towel in his hands to the ground. "I'm your father…you're suppose to share this kind of sensitive information with me."

"Dad, I know," Bonnie responded with a trembling voice and gaped mouth. "But you've made it pretty clear where you stood with the whole witch thing and how you felt about the Bennetts as a whole and…" Bonnie stopped talking. Something immediately registered in her brain that she didn't take into full consideration until that very moment. "…you sound as if though you knew this was going to happen." The room went quiet as Bonnie and Mr. Bennett stared each other down. The uncomfortable silence even went so far as to make Damon shift from his position by the fireplace, going for a chair adjacent from the couch in which Bonnie sat on. "Dad, did…did you know that this was going to happen to me? That sooner or later I would grow into my power and have to learn to harness them?" Mr. Bennett grew quiet as he turned his head away with a guilty expression plastered upon his face. It didn't take long for the young witch to realize solely on body language alone just what her father was telling her. "You did, didn't you?"

"I thought that if I didn't teach you the craft, you wouldn't have to go through the things I did when I was a teenager." Bonnie let out a humorless chuckle as she stood from the couch and burned her liquid green eyes into her father's face.

"All this time you made Grams out to be some bumbling alcoholic old woman, when in fact it was you that's been lying to me?"

"Honey, I didn't necessarily lie to you…"

"Another lie!" Bonnie screamed out, causing Mr. Bennett to perch his lips together and stare down at the ground. "Every time I asked you about the Bennett lineage, you'd scold me and make me try to forget the whole thing. My God, if I didn't have Grams there for me when my abilities began to flourish than who the hell was going to help me with my craft? You?"

"Bonnie…I understand you're upset and have a lot of questions. But there is no reason to be…"

"Something told me I should have been more persistent with you. In the back of my mind I knew you knew, but I never gave myself the opportunity to look long and hard for the truth within you. You're a liar; the very thing I despise the most."

"Bonnie, please!" Mr. Bennett's voice boomed loudly, causing the young witch to yelp and Damon to shift his eyes cautiously in the man's direction. The tall, dark man began to rub the top of his head in a stressful mannerism, unsure exactly where to begin his explanation. "I'm sorry," he stated weakly, "I thought by not telling you, I was protecting you. I didn't mean for you to get caught up in something that was out of control."

"Speaking of which," Damon muttered aloud as he stood from the seat in which he was sitting, strutting in between the fuming daughter and guilty father. "Since we no longer have to beat around the bush for answers, could you tell us exactly who did this makeover to your house." Mr. Bennett was hesitant at first to speak, but reluctantly spoke of what he knew to the blue eyed vampire.

"I don't remember," the bald man responded. "The last memory that's still fresh in my mind is me opening the door for Elena." Bonnie and Damon looked at each other while Mr. Bennett observed the strange exchange between them.

"Katherine," Bonnie mouths to the vampire to which he nods in acknowledgment.

"Is that all you remember?" Damon pushed forward with his questions.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Bonnie's father narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out the man whom was standing so protectively beside his daughter. The pale man merely grinned as he took a step towards Mr. Bennett which prompted the six foot man to stumble back.

"I'm the guy that just saved your life."

"This is Damon - Damon Salvatore," Bonnie uttered aloud before deciding to flop down on the couch below her. For a second Mr. Bennett's eyes grew wider before narrowing observantly.

"A vampire." Damon and the witch were now narrowing their eyes as they scaled the brown man. "If your Grams had taught you anything, the first lesson would have been to keep away from vampires."

"Regardless, Dad…Damon stays. And quite frankly your attitude towards vampires is bit extreme, especially since one just saved your life." Mr. Bennett looked over at the slim man who proceeded to tease him by wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

"Fine…but do you mind telling me exactly what the hell is going on here?" Once again it went silent, and quite honestly it was beginning to irritate Damon to no end.

"For God's sake, will somebody speak up so we can get some answers here?" the vampire urged. "If you two want to be mad at each other, fine…but at least try to figure out what it was that brought us all here in the first place."

The curly haired witch crossed her arms over her chest before speaking up to her father, "You're suppose to be a supernatural being. From what I know you've been compelled which isn't possible for witches."

"Correction…I use to be supernatural." The young female witch and the confused vampire man furrowed their brows at the Bennett man who pace from left to right in front of them. He was thinking up the best way to explain his confusing statement to the two of them (especially to Bonnie). When the man finally found the words he wanted to utter aloud to his daughter, he stopped pacing and crossed his arms over his chest before opening his mouth to speak. "Years ago, before your mother and I split, I was what you may consider a wizard. I could start fires with my mind, I could get glimpses into the future; I felt like I could do anything in the world without limitation."

"What about mom?" Bonnie asked, both incredibly interested and furious. Mr. Bennett seemed to have chosen his words wisely.

"Yes; your mother was a witch as a well. A McCullough witch. They are said to be some of the strongest witches next to the Bennett lineage…well…almost as strong."

"How strong?"

"Can we please stop jumping from one subject to the next, it's giving me a headache." Damon's irritated demand came with a disapproving look from both Bennetts. The vampire could see the family resemblance.

"Anyway," Mr. Bennett continued, "For a while things seemed to be going well between your mother and I. I mean, obviously we had our bad days and we had our good days but we always managed to work it out." Bonnie gave a confused look, not entirely sure what her parents' relationship had to do with her father no longer being a witch. "One night I came home early from one of my business trips hoping it would surprise your mother…when I saw he on the couch kissing another man." The man had to hold back the resurfacing anger of the past event.

"No…" The young witch whispered when she came to realize just what her father was trying to say. "…not mom."

"She tried to tell me that it wasn't what it looked like, but I knew better. In the back of my mind I guess I always knew."

"How so?" Damon asked. Mr. Bennett shot the man a look before shrugging his shoulders and arching an eyebrow.

"This blue-eyed, blond kid she worked with at her job; sometimes the jokes she made about him seemed a bit too inappropriate."

"Ooh, do tell."

"We're getting off subject again," Bonnie intervened, not wanting to get into detail about her mother's adultery. Her father cleared his throat before opening his mouth again to continue with his story.

"Right…anyway, the man and I got into a bit of a scuffle and I um…I messed him up pretty badly; using magic that I should have never used on a human being, almost to the point where I thought he wasn't going to make it. Fortunately for him, your mother got him to the hospital before it was too late." Mr. Bennett shifted his eyes between Damon and Bonnie before slowly stepping over to the couch where Bonnie sat, taking a seat next to her and placing his hands upon hers. "I'm not proud of what I did, and I'm not making any excuses. I just…I loved her so much, and I felt so betrayed and hurt…" Though it was silent within the room, it was sound of Bonnie's hands pulling away from her father that broke any awkward stillness.

"I still don't see how any of this has to do with why you're no longer a supernatural being?" Damon said.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorn," Mr. Bennett shouted out at the man. "Apparently I was unaware of how much she "loved" this guy, because the next thing I know she's working up an incantation that stripped away my powers."

"You're a Bennett witch, nothing can strip away your powers."

"Nothing but one of the Four Relics of the Souls." Bonnie sat silent, looking off into the distance as she tried to soak in all that she had been told. How could her father keep all this information away from her and expect everything to be alright in the long run? How is it possible that her mother wasn't the woman she always thought she was? How could her life be a total lie?

"What the hell are the Four Relics of the Souls?" The vampire was getting quite tired of asking questions to more bizarre information that this ebony man had to spill out from in between his lips.

"The Four Relics of the Souls are sort of rare supernatural artifacts that can forever alter an individual with paranormal-type abilities or traits."

"Such as?" Bonnie asked weakly, afraid to ask such as question in fear she would not like the answer she would receive.

"Well, I know one of the artifacts your mother used on me was called a Moonstone…"

"Wait, what!" Damon let out furious shout, immediately appearing in front of Mr. Bennett in a flash. "What do you know about the Moonstone?" The tall bald man merely fall off the couch at the sudden appearance of the Salvatore vampire. "What do you know about the Moonstone?" the man repeated.

"I-I know it's capable of possibly lifting the werewolf curse as well as the vampire curse; taking away all that makes them supernatural and converting them back to the human form they once were."

"How do witches fall into this?" Bonnie asked frantically. Exchanging a worrisome glance between the two, Mr. Bennett continued on with his explanation of the Moonstone.

"That's where my story continues; the Moonstone is one of the only Four Relics of Souls that don't directly affect witches in a negative way. In fact a witch who holds possession of the Moonstone is able to "amplify" her powers in ways unimaginable. I'm not entirely sure how your mother got a hold of the relic, but once she had it there was no stopping her from stripping me of my powers."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Bonnie said with a shake of her head and a confused expression. "Witches in general have magic in their blood. You can't simply just take the magic out of one's blood and they ultimately become human again."

"Technically true," Mr. Bennett responded, "but you can bind that magic useless and vulnerable to any supernatural attack. And that's exactly what she did; With the aid of the Moonstone she was able to somehow bind the magic I had inside, which in essence, made a human again."

"So the magic is still in you?"

"Unless I had possession of the Moonstone and I could find a witch strong enough to break this curse…I'm useless." The room went silent as all three occupants of the Bennett household exchanged glances between one another, trying to decipher how a past event such as the one Mr. Bennett told fit into all the present drama and chaos. Though as Bonnie took a moment to look at her father, a man who was just like her, she couldn't help but feel incredibly sorry for him and wouldn't look past the fact that her mother was far worse than what she thought she was.

"…you're not useless, Dad." Bonnie whispered silently. "Maybe a liar and all around control freak…but you've never been useless." The words spoken made her father smile weakly. "Not to me."

"Thank you, baby girl."

"As touching as this moment is," Damon began to pace steadily back and forth as he spoke, "There are still a hell of a lot of unanswered questions in our way, not to mention a bunch of new supernatural lore we have to take into account."

"Well we know the hooded couple are witches who have Katherine working for them in order to gain control of the Moonstone." Bonnie said.

"Wait…you know where the Moonstone is?" Mr. Bennett asked worriedly.

"More or less," the young girl said disappointingly. "Katherine, the vampire we believe came in here and did this to our home, is looking for it. She kind of let slip that she somehow had possession of it, but we believe that she's not exactly able to get it. Like maybe physically get it - though we're sure she knows where it is."

"Tyler…" Damon said aloud, more so to himself than anybody else. Bonnie narrowed her eyes as she tried to figure out what the vampire was insinuating. "Think about it; the Moonstone obviously has this power that can help lift the curse from vampires and werewolves. Why would he be so adamant about getting you to help with his problem unless he had something concrete within his disposal?"

"That's a bit of a stretch, Damon. I mean granted Tyler has wanted my help for some time now, but that was primarily to benefit Mason and _his _problems. Besides he's under the assumption that I can simply "fix" the werewolf transformation with a spell from the Grimoire."

"There's only one way of knowing for sure," Damon said with a tilt of his head. Bonnie exchanged a glance with the man before glaring over to her father.

"What about my dad?" Bonnie asked with a shake of her head before shortly turning her attention to her father. "You should go, Damon. It's not safe for my father to be here alone. I'm not leaving him here defenseless."

"And I'm not leaving you defenseless either," Damon snapped at the young witch before she stood up from the couch to face him head on.

"I won't be…I just need to duplicate what I did when Katherine attacked last time."

"You do realize that the last time you faced Katherine, you damn there ran a fever that could have very well put you into a coma." The vampire's words caught the attention of Mr. Bennett whom Bonnie tried not to look back at in fear of his questioning for specifics of the situation.

"Then what am I suppose to do, Damon? Katherine can come in and out of my home whenever she wants to as well as your mansion. I have no other relatives within Mystic Falls…"

"Then drive to the nearest one."

"Damon!" Bonnie looked up at the man with narrow eyes. "You're going to have to trust me to do what I need to do…the same with how I trusted you." The man was silent as he clenched his jaw in anger, disappointed with the "hero complex" the woman suddenly adopted.

"This is different," the blue-eyed man muttered as he glared down at the stubborn witch. "I'm not going to fall for the stupid cliché where the boyfriend leaves his girl behind only to have to come back and save her from some improbable danger." It took a moment for the man to realize just what he had said, but when it did finally register in his brain, Damon merely scoffed to himself.

Bonnie took hold of the vampire's cold hand before opening her mouth to speak, "I'm not going anywhere. Just make sure you come back in one piece."

"Well I'll come back in the pieces that matter."

"I'm serious, Damon," Bonnie said squeezing the man's hand unbeknownst to her even. "Go to the Lockwood home and get your ass back here as soon as possible." The man's eyes dropped to the ground as he obeyed the woman's command and took the situation a lot more seriously.

"Alright…I promise."

"Good."

"Okay, let me just get your Grimoire out of my car and I'll be on my way."

Bonnie stood on her toes and placed her lips gently on the man's lips, ignoring the fact that her father was sitting a mere few inches away. As the couple pulled away from one another, the slender vampire kept his eyes glued to the ocean green iris' of Bonnie before making his way out the door. The young watch strangely felt emotional as the vampire glided further away from her out the door.

Damon would be gone…Bonnie would be away.

And the opportunity of disaster would be open.

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**Word of warning...the next two chapters will have Damon and Bonnie separated from each other so prepare yourself for that. But in the process, things will happen that could even bring the duo closer than before. And remember, new chapter on SUNDAY! Thanx much and peace :)**


	19. The Werewolf's Diary

**So here's the next chapter to the intense story. We are coming to at least 10 of the FINAL CHAPTERS of this story, so I had to do a lot of editing and re-editing to make sure everything I've written so far ties nicely together. Take this chapter together. Despite the fact I wrote it a week ago, I ended up re-writing the whole thing today which in turn forced me to edit my other chapters. I plan on adding more surprises that always come out of left field, so prepare yourself. As always, I like to thank you all for your constant support of this story; I never knew that so many in the Bamon community would take to this story the way I thought it would. Most of what you guys/girls say is what drives me to make sure that this story is PERFECT in every aspect possible. Thus...I dedicate this entire story to you: The Bamon Community. ;) **

**Anyhoo, lets end all the chatter and get straight to the story, shall we? Enjoy!

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**Chapter 19 - The Werewolf's Diary**

The last thing Damon Salvatore wanted to do was leave Bonnie defenseless against the supernatural forces at hand in Mystic Falls…but he trusted her.

Usually he'd have disregarded every single word the young witch had told him and did what he damn well pleased. But unfortunately (much like Elena), Bonnie had a knack for getting what she wanted from the man on occasion. And thus him driving his black Chevy towards the Lockwood estate was another clear example of the influence she (occasionally) had on the vampire. Suffice to say, it didn't take long for Damon to dial his brother's number and call him while still driving. The phone rang for a couple of seconds before a click on the other end assured him that Stefan had indeed picked. Damon put his phone on speaker as to not risk distracting himself into driving his car into a ditch. He didn't care much for his life (for the simple fact he couldn't simply die from a simple car accident), but he'd be damned if his Chevy were to scratched.

"Hello?" the younger Salvatore brother's voice rang on the other side of the phone receiver.

"Stefan…how's my brooding brother?" Damon asked in a mocking tone. A huge sigh was heard on the opposing end of the blue-eyed vampire's phone, creating a crackling noise.

"What do you want, Damon?"

"Ask how I'm doin', why don't ya?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…just tell me what you're calling me for?" The older Salvatore was silent on the other end of the phone before clearing his throat and reopening his mouth to speak.

"I need you to go to Bonnie's house and watch her and her dad."

"Wait…what?" Stefan asked curiously. "You didn't drop her off at school today?"

"No…she got a phone call from her Dad earlier this morning that he was attacked by a vampire…"

"…Katherine." It was left of a question and more of an observation from Stefan's end of the phone. Damon nodded his head out of habit even though he knew that his brother was unable to see him. "Is he alright? How's Bonnie doing?"

"Bonnie is fine…just a little shaken up about what happened with her father."

"Wait…if this all happened this morning, why are you calling me this late in the afternoon?" Damon had to sit and think up of a quick excuse to give to his younger brother. Sometimes he hated how quickly Stefan could pick up on the simplest of slip-ups and completely freak out about it. Obviously he couldn't reveal to his vampire sibling that he had really been out and about with the witch he claimed he hated. Not only would it make things awkward for himself and everybody involved in his undead life, but was really hated being "outed" about a secret he tried so hard to keep just that…a secret. However he knew that if things were to keep progressing the way they had been with Bonnie, then it wouldn't be too long before he'd have to make this relationship of his "public".

"Why must you make a habit of bringing up the details and completely irritating me?" Damon uttered aloud as he came a few miles away from the Lockwood resident.

"Damon what's going on? Has something happened to Bonnie that you're not telling me?" The vampire rolled his vibrant blue eyes.

"No, but if you don't stop pretending to play school boy then something just might again. Must I bring your attention back to that fateful day me and Bonnie had with Katherine?"

"Fine, Damon. I'll go check up on Bonnie…but we're going to discuss this further." The phone on the other end clicked off. '_Can't wait_', the eldest brother thought as he spotted the Lockwood home in the distance. He stepped on his brakes before putting his car in park and initially turning off his engine. Stepping out of the black Chevy and using his vampire speed to reach the front door of the house, he grabbed hold of the knob of the front door and used his strength to pry the door forcefully open. Peaking his head in and grinning to himself, Damon Salvatore steadily began to make his way into the Lockwood home without a care in the world. He was lucky that the little shit invited him into the house during Senior Lockwood's memorial service. Making his way into the large entryway that showcased the enormous home, Damon scanned his eyes (and focused his hearing) on anything unusual and in need of investigation.

He first made his way into the boy's room (obviously) and scanned around for anything of importance. As opposed to dirty undergarments and a box full of marijuana, Damon didn't find anything that interesting…until he came across a small red journal barely sticking out between a set of mattresses. The vampire narrowed his eyes and went for the red journal, flipping the mattress over without trouble and causing it to crash across the bedroom wall. He ripped of the lock that kept the journal locked and instantly started flipping through pages of the small red book. At first nothing of significance was brought up: the occasional whining about teenage life, his regret for not building a relationship with his father, and other teen angst-related subjects seemed to pollute the book which started to irritate the vampire as he prepared to close the book and move on to something. Suddenly a name jumped up that he didn't expect to see within the pages of Tyler Lockwood's journal;

Katherine.

The vampire immediately was drawn back into the book and furrowed his eyes and he started to read the words sloppily written on within the pages:

'_Today Katherine came by today and was even more pissed off than she usually was. I don't have all the details yet, but if I had to guess, I'd have to say that her attempts of getting Bonnie to help her obtain the Moonstone was an epic fail. I'm glad._'

Damon narrowed his eyes as he tried to piece together the things that put Tyler and Katherine together.

'_Mason is adamant about getting that fucking Moonstone from the well…but Bonnie is not willing to help us with the situation. In the back of my mind I'm kinda glad that she wont, but I'm regretful of the things Katherine will do to her if she doesn't cooperate. It already seems like Bonnie has threw a monkey wrench in Katherine's plans…no telling what the bitch might do now._'

The vampire turned the red journal's pages of the red journal as he immediately came to the answer as to what well Tyler was referring to. It was a stretch, but it the only well that was still intact within Mystic Falls. But why would they need Bonnie to get the Moonstone from a well? Why couldn't they do it themselves? Damon started to scan his narrowed eyed down at the words below him as he made his way out of the teenager's room and into another part of the house.

'_I've done some bad things in my life…and I can't take any of it back. But what I seem to regret the most is how I've lied to Bonnie about the truth for me wanting her help in obtaining the Moonstone. How can I reveal to her the things I've learned about Katherine and my uncle's relationship? How am I suppose to tell her that my mother is no longer safe because of the two's interference in my life now? How am I suppose to tell her that I care too much about her to have something happen to her?_'

Damon found himself clenching his jaw while reading that part of the journal.

'_I wouldn't be so hesitant to ask the girl out if she wasn't already under Damon Fucking Salvatore's thumb every second of every day. I swear…even if it meant triggering the werewolf curse within me, I would not think twice about killing that dick. Unfortunately for me the asshole is already dead, but I have resources that can help me rid of him in other ways as well._'

"Yeah, I bet you do asshole," Damon muttered aloud to himself as he ventured further in the Lockwood home, scaling his hand over papers that laid on desks and documents spread across openly. But it didn't take long for the man to bring his eyes back to the words that were starting to piss him off greatly.

'_But for now, I need to focus on getting this Moonstone. The next full moon is less than a week away, and Katherine warned that if she didn't get the stone soon, me transforming would be the least of my worries. I don't see how Mason could love such a spiteful bitch, or how he can't see that she's using him to gain access of this stupid stone. I never should have told them where it was located…now they won't stop until Bonnie lifts the curse from the well so that they can get it._'

"Son of a bitch," Damon muttered. He closed the book momentarily, keeping the page he was reading slightly open with his index finger. Examining the house before him, it was no surprise why the Lockwood family was so good at keeping secrets from the residents of Mystic Falls; with the immense size of the house they lived un, who would think anything suspicious was going on while they were being blindsided by glitz and high life living. Figuring it was now a waste of time to make to search for anymore clues (especially since the vampire now knew that the Moonstone was hidden within a well), Damon stopped short in front of the front door and realized he still had the teenager's journal in his hand. His first instinct told him to rip it into shreds for the simple fact that Bonnie's name was written within it's pages. Yet there was an irritating little voice in the back of his head that told him to keep reading within the pages of teen angst. So, not wanting to completely leave himself in suspense before reading what he could from the little red book, Damon started to read from Tyler's journal once more.

'_It's been getting harder and harder to come to my mother for answers about my father. I want to believe that she has knowledge about this whole werewolf stuff…but I can't help but feel like if I do open myself up to her she'll just deny the entire thing. Then again she has denied so many other things in my life, why should the concept of me coming from a legion of werewolves be something she'd admit to? Some days I love her. Other days I can't stand her. But most recently I guess I just don't understand her anymore. She knows something about who…or rather…what I am. I have to ask her about my family and my curse. Of course I could avoid the whole ordeal if I could just find a way to get Bonnie to break the curse from the Moonstone. I need to gain her trust…I need her to see that I'm not her enemy. Maybe if I told her how I really felt about her? How the prospect of me finding comfort in another "supernatural" person has made me feel normal again. Surely I could find other females with this dilemma (note my sarcasm)…but there's something about Bonnie that's just different. There's something about her that just makes me feel like I don't have to be afraid of who I am for her to accept me.'_

"Humph…little do you know, Scrappy Doo," the vampire said before a faint sound caught his immediate attention and caused him to turn on his heels to face the individual who had tried to sneak up behind him with a stake in their hand. "Speak of the devil."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Tyler asked nervously, shifting his eyes from the vampire's narrow blue eyes and his red journal. "What are you doing with my journal?" he asked angrily.

"Journal, eh? I figured with all the bitchin' you write in this thing you'd be opted to call it a diary." Damon tossed the small red book on the floor towards Tyler's feet. The young teenager jumped at the echoing sound of the book hitting across the hard wood floors in the large, quiet hall. Keeping his eyes planted on the smug face of the tall, slender vampire, the Lockwood boy kneeled down t pick up his book with his free hand while gripping his stake firmly with the other one. Picking it up and pressing it against his side, Tyler sidestepped to the side as a means to keep a safe distance from the monster.

"I'll ask you again…what are you doing here?"

"I'll ask the questions around here," Damon retorted more seriously, "what well is the Moonstone located in?" Tyler was silent as he took a momentary glance down at his journal, cursing he had wrote such sensitive information within it. Mason warned that nothing good would come from writing in a journal, and for once it seemed his uncle was correct on the matter. Already did the boy have to answer to a egotistical, cold-hearted vampire.

"Is that why you're here? Looking for the Moonstone?" Tyler asked with judging eyes.

"I'm here, because the vampire bitch you were talking about in that little book of yours has crossed a line." Damon's response was delivered between gritted teeth and eyes that almost went pitch black from anger. However he kept his wits about him and refused to unleash the vampire that laid within him…at least for now.

"What did Katherine do?" Tyler asked, nearly lowering the stake in his hands.

"What hasn't she done, is the question. We all know she's adamant for that Moonstone and recently showed just how much so. What I want to know, is why?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

"I'd rather not." Damon immediately rushed forth and took hold of the teenager's wrist which accompanied the stake and squeezed tightly, causing the boy to scream out in pain. He didn't break Tyler's wrist but instead went for a simple sprain.

"I am in no mood to trade insults back and forth you right now…not when I don't give the okay. Now tell me what Katherine wants with the Moonstone, and maybe I'll kill you mercifully."

"It wouldn't matter either way…it'd be better than this hell I've been going through."

"Tragic…but I'm not in the business of comfort and joy." The vampire squeezed a bit tighter forcing out a more agonizing screech from the Lockwood boy. "The longer you keep me waiting for an answer, the more creative I get. So unless you really want to disregard pain that surpasses this, I suggest you start speaking…now!"

"She's going to use it against a couple she's working for!" the boy blurted out. Damon narrowed his eyes as an image immediately registered within his brain.

"A hooded couple?" the vampire asked sternly. Tyler gave a shocked expression, unsure how the Salvatore could have know such information.

"Y-Yes…well at least one of them was hooded; the guy. The girl wasn't though."

"What does the girl look like? What's her name?" Tyler gave a pleading expression between the tall vampire and his encased wrist. No words needed to be exchanged for Damon to release his grip on the teenager, but he would not hesitate to grab hold of him again if he felt it was necessary.

"Why should I trust that you won't kill me as soon as I tell you what I know?"

"You can't trust me…but if you're willing to put Bonnie's life on the line because of a simple trust issue, than we have a much bigger issue than I thought." The young boy's injury was suddenly an afterthought when the witch's name was brought up.

"What about Bonnie?" Tyler asked.

"Obviously Katherine is growing desperate, otherwise she wouldn't have broken into her home and nearly killed her father. Or broken into my home to try and nearly kill me."

"No, no, no - nobody was suppose to get hurt."

"You're working for a sadistic bitch like Katherine and you expected nobody to get hurt? God, you really are fucking stupid, aren't you?" The young teen's chest rumbled in anger at the vampire's words. "Now about this hooded woman…who is she?" The Lockwood boy dropped his head in the presence of the vampire, more upset at the fact that there was nothing he'd be able to do to defend himself against the immortal Salvatore.

"She's about 5'5'', caramel skin, green almost emerald colored eyes. Wavy black and red hair…from what I've heard, I think she goes by the name of McCullough…" Damon's eyes immediately opened widely.

"McCullough?" the dark haired man asked dubiously. "Holy shit." Almost instantly the vampire removed himself from in front of Tyler and reached into his pockets to pull out his cell phone.

"What is it?" Tyler asked the panicking vampire, but to avail did he get a response. "Damon, what's the problem?"

"Dammit! No answer," the pale man cursed aloud to himself. Going for the door, Damon prepared himself to leave and head straight for Bonnie's home but couldn't help but ask the teen Lockwood one final question. "Why are working for Katherine?" The man's back was boldly turned away from the boy who, despite his sprained wrist, was still grasping onto the stake within his hand. "Why is Mason working for her? What on Earth could possess you two to make such a hefty deal with that…menace?"

"Mason claims that it's for love; I don't know if he himself fully believes that crock of shit." Damon found himself shifting uncomfortably at the word 'love'. "I didn't want to lie to Bonnie and tell her that I needed the Moonstone for other reasons, but Katherine is very persuasive. I don't have many people in my life…but the ones I do have almost seem important enough to save."

"Let me guess…your mother?"

"No…Bonnie."

Damon was silent as he felt an anger beginning to boil within him. It shouldn't have been that big of a deal for the vampire to grasp on to the fact that the teenager had "uncontrolled hormonal" feelings towards the woman. Besides it wasn't like they had officially called off the possibilities of other potential romances. Yet…just the simple prospect of another being wanting to connect with Bonnie was almost blasphemous.

"Funny; I seem to remember you being the one putting her in harms way by lying about some bullshit spell she could use to ease the werewolf curse."

"I told a lie with the intentions of revealing the truth later."

"Yeah well…good luck with that."

"Tyler?" A female voice arose from the top of the stairs. It was Carol Lockwood, Tyler's mother, at the top of the stairs. She was holding onto a glass of bourbon in one hand while giving a dazed expression to her son. 'Drunk again', Tyler thought. "I thought you'd be at school by now…what are you doing home?" Her eyes glared at her son who started to make his way towards the stairs, making his way past Damon who was still had his back faced to him. The Lockwood boy made his way up the stairs before his mother had the chance to open her mouth to speak. "Who's your friend?" she asked the boy in a whisper as she stared at the back of the stranger in her house.

"He's no friend," the boy snapped. Mrs. Lockwood merely nodded her head, not at all attempting to understand her son's response. "What are you doing home? I thought you said you had some business to attend to?"

"I did…but…humph…I don't remember. I guess it's just been one of those days."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's not the only reason," the boy said referring to his mother's drink. Mrs. Lockwood merely sighed at her son's negative behavior.

"You may not respect me, but the least you can do is wait until your frie…guest has left."

"Don't worry about me ma'am," Damon said, finally deciding to turn around and grin at the woman upstairs before heading out the door. The woman's eyes went narrow the drink in her hand drop from her grasp. Glancing from Damon over to Tyler, the woman reached in the back of her flowing summer shirt and pulled out the knife she had pressed between her back and pants.

"Katherine knew you'd come to the Salvatores for help," the woman said almost trance like. Tyler was more preoccupied looking at the knife his mother was holding. "You stupid, stupid boy."

"Mom, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"Tyler, get away from her!" Damon said as he turned to go for the stairs, but it was too late. Mrs. Lockwood drove the knife through the young boy's shoulder, causing him to gasp out in shock and pain. Fighting to dig the weapon from within him, he pushed his mother away from him in the hopes that her grip on the knife would. But she wouldn't budge and her strength was unnaturally incredible. Pulling the knife from the boy, Mrs. Lockwood raised the steel weapon n the air for another attack, but not before Tyler's uncontrollable anger caused him to push his mother to the side so as to drop to the floor out of the way. Mrs. Lockwood started to lose her balance as she staggered back against the stairs, falling hard on each step leading down to the marble floor below.

Tyler looked on at horror to which he had caused.

He didn't…

He couldn't have…

It wasn't possible…

"MOOOOMMM!" The man screamed out loud as he rushed down the stairs to attend to his mother whom laid spread across the floor with her eyes slightly opened and the side of her mouth dripping with blood. Suddenly the front door to the house was busted open as Damon rushed back to investigate the screaming coming from Tyler. Looking down at the scene before him, the vampire merely took a step back as he tried to piece together what the hell could have happened.

"Tyler…what did you do?" Damon asked.

"I-I-I don't know…I just…she s-stabbed me and…I j-just, I just…I-I didn't m-mean to…AAAARRGGGGHH!" Tyler's felt a shooting pain coarse throughout his body as he crawled away from his mother's body. The agonizing pain of the knife which was jabbed into his shoulder was nothing compared to the intensity of what he was going through. Down on hands and knees, a growl began to erupt from inside the man's chest again…but these time it was a lot deeper and more animalistic.

"A werewolf…" Damon said aloud nervously as Tyler lifted his face to reveal topaz colored eyes. "…the curse."

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**I will try to get the next chapter up in the next three days, if not most def by Saturday/Sunday because I have a couple of musical performances this week. Thx for reading & Peace :)**


	20. Love

**Let me start off by explaining my looooooong absence: **

**These past couple of months have been pretty hard on me lately. And though I tried not to let any of it interferer with any of my outside projects, there was certainly no way of getting around the drama I was presented with. This is a huge reason as to why I've taken so long to post up any chapters for RIACW. Not that I gave up on the project or I didn't have the "muse" to continue writing...it was that I had serious business to attend to before I fully immerse myself back into this FanFic. If don't believe in doing things "half-ass", so when I commit to something...I mean it. **

**Thus I worked out a lot of obvious kinks that would have left opened a crap-load of plotholes in my stories, so that within itself caused me to (once again) re-write the final few chapters of my story. That being said, I must admit that I think this new direction I'm taking the story is on a much more epic scale and leaves open more room for Bamon romance to steam up a bit. **

**I do apologize to those who have waited soooooo patiently for this chapter to post, and that is truly a humbling thing to know. I DO NOT TAKE ANY OF YOUR DEDICATION FOR GRANTED. If anything, it's the readers who keep me writing this story and forcing me to make it better for you. You helped me bring to you an idea that I didn't think would work, and now I have this new confidence in my writing. Not so much because you've given me "good" reviews or you favorite my story...but because you gave my story a chance to be heard and shared in the TVD/Bamon community. This is not my story (per sa xD) this is YOUR story. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 20 - Love**

"Why are you being like this, Dad?"

Bonnie must have asked this question to her father a hundred times over in the past half hour. She and Mr. Bennett had been so focused on the fact that Damon was a vampire that neither one of them had time to bring up the core issue at hand: the Moonstone. But then again, it didn't surprise Bonnie Bennett that her father would be so adamant in trying to run her life every second of every day. And it clearly came as no surprise to Mr. Bennett that his daughter would test his patience and rebel just to get back at him. Both were two heads on the same coin…but both truly cared for one another despite the arguing that went on between them. The only other reason Mr. Bennett kept witchcraft a secret from his daughter was because he never wanted her to have to go through the responsibilities and stress that was called upon when faced with a supernatural dilemma which threatened everything and everybody.

Mr. Bennett had so many stories he could tell Bonnie…but not anytime soon.

"You and I both know that nothing good can come when involving yourself with vampires," Mr. Bennett shouted out at his daughter who stood with her arms crossed over her chest defensively. The simple fact that Damon was the topic of discussion was enough to get the woman irritated a hundred times over.

"Dad, you don't even know him," she responded, "I do. So I think I have a better grasp of his personality than you do right now. And least we forgot once again who it was that saved your life?"

"But I don't trust him, Bonnie," he retorted back as he took a step forward, signaling to himself. "Our family lineage has been used and abused by vampires for years. All they want from us is protection and power…nothing less, nothing more. Can you honestly stand here and tell me that Damon has you in his best interest?" Bonnie opened up her mouth to speak but quickly went against it. It was so obvious what the true answer to Mr. Bennett's question was, and how often it was brought up - Elena. Yes, nothing and nobody could say any differently if they too were aware of the situation that was developing between the vampire and human. Damon and his commitment to the young teenager was overwhelmingly nauseating to say the least. When the obvious endgame ultimately spelled doom for the eldest Salvatore, he still so blindly carried on with his unconditional loyalty to the brown eyed brunette, even when it would crush his unbeaten heart into a million pieces. However Bonnie couldn't allow herself to believe that she was just second fiddle to Elena Gilbert. She couldn't risk admitting to having feelings for the vampire only to be left with egg in her face. There was no way Bonnie would prove her father right in that Damon did not care one bit about her when he had sacrificed so much in such a short amount of time.

"You're wrong," Bonnie said between gritted teeth, her eyes focused on the floor below her. "Damon has proven to me over and over again that you can't judge a book by it's cover. He's sacrificed for me…as have I." Mr. Bennett narrowed his eyes with a tilt of his head, wondering just what kind of sacrifices she made for the dead man.

"My God, he's brainwashed you into thinking that he cares," Mr. Bennett uttered softly, almost in a whisper-like fashion. "Honey, vampires will tell you anything to get what they want. Your Grams, my mother, told me that vampires are the reason why our family is so separated from one another. Some family members are forever trapped in the debt of a heartless vamp until the day they die which will only carry on to the next generation." Bonnie shook her head as turned her body counterclockwise away from her father, but the tall bald man proceeded to approach the young girl before placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her around to face him. "Your Grams was lucky. Her mother was under the order of a vicious vampire that had been using her and her past family for generations. If your Grams hadn't taken it upon herself to kill that vampire, you, I and possibly your Grams would have no choice but to work for that vampire."

"What exactly are you trying to say, Dad?" Bonnie asked.

"Make the right choice, baby-girl. Don't get involved in something that will have dire repercussions in the end. You still have a choice…and I'm telling you to make the right one." The young girl merely shook her head as she stepped away from her father and began to pace around him in a quick stride.

"You don't get it, Dad. I can't get out of this situation even if I wanted to. This town needs to be protected and nobody is doing anything resourceful in making sure that it is. As far as I know, I'm the only witch in town which means I'm one of the only offensive weapons against anything supernatural."

"How so?"

"With a single look I can make vampires drop to their knees. I can set anything and anyone of fire with nothing but a drop of water. I can see visions of the upcoming future, not to mention I can levitate objects with my mind. I come from one of the strongest and oldest lineages of witches…it's going to take more than a few near death experiences to scare me away from my purpose."

Mr. Bennett merely sighed as he raised both his hands to his head and began to rub at it solemnly. He loved his daughter so much, and all he could see was her impressionable mind being manipulated by slick talking vampires (notably Damon Salvatore).

"But he's a vampire, Bonnie." The man's words took on a more serious tone as he went to take a seat on the couch behind him. The emerald-eyed woman couldn't help but scoff at her father's words, finding it ironic that she was defending vampires and he was talking down about them.

"Wow…if that's what I sound like when I talk about vampires being evil, then it's no wonder everybody gets annoyed," the young girl said as she went to sit on the arm of the loveseat which was adjacent to the couch her father was situated on. The two Bennetts were quiet for a moment, both looking down at the ground before them. It was so difficult for them both to communicate without an argument erupting from either side; it was one of the main reasons as to why they were so distant from each other. But if anything, their present conversation had to be their most revealing and most controversial yet.

"He loves me, Dad," Bonnie said. Mr. Bennett, figuring as much, merely kept his head hanging low as he continued to listen to his daughter speak. "I know you may not understand it or want to accept it…but it is what it is."

"Bonnie, he's…"

"He's not perfect, no." The young witch's interruption was followed by a small smile that barely showed off her pearly white teeth. "He's no prince charming…he doesn't inherit the traits of an all around gentleman…he's killed people…" That caught the attention of Mr. Bennett completely as he lifted his head to look over at his daughter. "At one point I even shared the same philosophy you do; claiming vampires couldn't be trusted because, honestly, Damon can't always be trusted. He's sneaky, conniving, and an all around badass 24/7. But when we're together and our personalities clash with one another…it's tragically beautiful." A tear began to roll down the side of the woman's caramel toned cheek. "Damon has saved my life countless of times, as have I. With anybody else, he's always trying to not care and be standoffish…but with me it's different. It's like this glimmer of life is in his eyes and he's human again. And maybe, just maybe, I like to think that I had something to do with that. Like I've given him the option to be himself around me without having to change a thing…and I still accepted him when nobody else would." Mr. Bennett was furious now, kicking his foot forward and knocking over the already trashed coffee table in front of him.

"You see?" he shouted aloud as he sprung up from his seat. "All I hear you saying is what you've done for him and how you've given so much for him. He's using you, hun…can't you see it?"

"Than why does he love me?" Bonnie shouted as she herself shot up from her seat and shared an angry glance with her father. "Yeah, I've done my part for Damon…but he has done so much more. He was there for me when _my father_ was not. He was there for me when I almost died at the hands of another. He nearly sacrificed a love he had pursued for so long just to spend a minute with me…made me feel like I was worth something. Made me feel wanted and loved and sexy and so many other things that a man is suppose to make a woman feel."

"I don't want to hear this," Mr. Bennett murmured.

"Why, because it seems illogical to you? Or is it because you can't stand that fact that a vampire may actually have feelings for me? Or…maybe you're more scared of the fact that I may very well love him myself?" The "L" word brought on a scolding almost frightening look upon the chocolate-eyed Bennett.

"You DO NOT love him, Bonnie!"

The woman was silent as she pried her mouth open to speak but was surprised that nothing came out. That was so not suppose to happen; That was suppose to be the time in which she actually professed her love for Damon and she comes to the realization that maybe she was in love with him all the time? But even she knew that she couldn't rush something that was just beginning to blossom. It had been barely enough time for her to say she truly cared for the vampire (though she did), now she was expected to say that she loved him too? She knew she felt something for the Salvatore brother…she just wasn't sure, what? "…I just want you to be safe."

The young woman looked over to her father before shaking her head and taking a few steps towards him, "I wouldn't be safe without Damon, Dad. Believe me…I myself tried to stray away from any kind of relationship with the man, but I can't fight what I feel inside. You may not like it, but in all honesty it's not your place to judge him…because you don't know him like I do."

"And what exactly is it that you know?" The disappointed sounding man asked before Bonnie approached him and placed a soft hand upon his hand. Looking up into his deep-set eyes, the young female witch merely grinned as she examined her stubborn father.

"We're made for each other," she responded lightly, "I'm a rose in _his _concrete world: he keeps my roots planted and secure for future growth, even when people pull away at me. And I'll always provide him with the beauty of life and colorful company despite the amount of people who ignore and walk all over his heart. Two completely different atmospheres complimenting each other so well. That's who we are Dad…that's what I want to be."

"No matter how beautifully you word it…facts are facts." Bonnie merely shook her head as she let go Mr. Bennett's hands. Taking a step back and coming to the conclusion that her father would not listen to reason, the young girl scanned her father with emerald eyes before taking note just how incredibly alike she was to the man. It was never so clear until that very moment - the judgment that he brought out towards Damon was reminiscent to the judgment she use to express.

Like father like daughter.

"Forget it," Bonnie sneered before making a stride to the front door. "Maybe Damon was better off just letting me die…at least I could have saved you the trouble of me falling in love with him." Reaching out for the doorknob, the curly black haired girl stopped in her tracks. Did she just say she was falling in love with Damon? Both Mr. Bennett and Bonnie didn't say anything amidst the female witch's words, thus an overwhelming silence overtook the room. The male Bennett opened his mouth to make any sort of response when a strong knock on the door caused Bonnie to snatch her hand away from the doorknob and jump back in a startled fashion. The knock came back again, even harder than before, forcing the young girl to believe that it probably wasn't Damon back from the Lockwood house with some answers about the Moonstone.

"Booooonnnnniiieee?"

The sound was all too familiar to the young woman as she began to take steps away from the front door and make way back to her father. Mr. Bennett gave a bewildered look as he looked down at the daughter who stood in front of him with her hands spread out on either side of her, almost as if though she were trying to protect him. The door banged harder and harder and harder, until eventually the nearby window crashed open with a swift kick from the broad man standing on the outside of the house. Sticking his head into the house and turning to look at Bonnie and her father, the young man smiled conniving with deep set slanted eyes of an almost almond color.

"Well, hello there, Bonnie," the olive skinned man uttered aloud. "May I come in? Oh wait…I'm not a vampire. So I don't need permission, do I?" Mason started to take a step forward, but the young woman didn't wait around to ask questions as to why the man was invading her home the way he was. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and focused on giving the werewolf Lockwood a seriously agonizing amorism. But something was wrong…the male Lockwood proceeded to move further into the house without so much as a wince of pain drawing from him. "Oh, I think I feel you trying to get into my head," Mason commented while pointing a finger to his temple. "She said you'd try something like that on me…that's why I lifted this special little ring from that hooded couple to keep your magic from affecting me. Looks nice, wouldn't you agree?" The man lifted his hand to reveal a sapphire ring that looked like it carried a significant amount of weight on the man's meaty finger. "She promised me that this would be a lot easier without all that voodoo in the way of what I need to do."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Bonnie asked, a bit more frightened than earlier. All she had to keep her safe was magic. If that wasn't on her side at the moment, she had nothing else to defend herself with.

"I'm here on behalf of Katherine." Mason's response only brought a look of shock from the witch. "She's tired of trying to do things diplomatically. You're going to come with me and help her gain control of the Moonstone."

"Fuck you," Bonnie said aloud before her father took her by the arms and pulled her behind him.

"I don't know who you are, but you need to get out of my house now." Mr. Bennett's threat came on deaf ears as Mason proceeded to move closer to the duo, a sinister smirk on his face.

"You see, that's where the problem lies. I'm not allowed to go back to Katherine unless I have Bonnie in my possession. And I'm sorry, but the last thing I wanna do is go back to an angry vampire empty handed. So just make this easy on yourself and come with me calmly and quietly."

"Dad…" Bonnie whispered behind her father, her eyes still locked on the approaching Lockwood. "…what should we do? I can't think of any of the incantations by heart…my Grimoire is upstairs."

"Don't worry baby girl," Mr. Bennett said confidently. "You make your way upstairs and I'll hold him off."

"Dad, no!" the young witch's voice was harsh and frightened.

"You know what the beauty is about an upcoming full moon?" Mason stopped in his steps as he asked his question, closing his eyes and smirking wider. "Each one brings you closer and closer to your animalistic instincts…"

"Bonnie, go!" Mr. Bennett took hold of Bonnie and shoved her towards the stairs as he went in for the closed-eyed Mason. The young woman didn't stop to glance at what her father and Mason were doing, but the loud sounds of furniture being thrown over and the increasing volume of painful grunts made the witch highly aware of just how serious the situation had become. Running up her stairs as fast as possible, Bonnie momentarily felt a tug at the bottom of her leg which caused her to fall on her front. She turned to see an unscathed Mason frowning up at the woman with his humongous hand wrapped around her ankle.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked with a sneer. Bonnie merely screamed out as she bent back her free leg and thrusted it forward against Mason's face. Almost immediately, the man's grip on the witch was loose and Bonnie once again trailed her way up the stairs until she was securely in her room. Shutting and locking the door behind her, the young girl went straight for her Grimoire and began searching for a spell that could repel or work it's way around the ring that Mason had stolen from the hooded couple. A huge bang at the door literally made Bonnie jump from her skin, causing her to drop the book on the ground in fear.

"Booooonnnnniiiieee," Mason cooed the woman's name aloud as he knocked on the door more softly the second time around. "Come on, just open up the door. This doesn't have to be difficult for either of us." Catching her breath, the young witch leaned back down to pick up her book of spells and started to flip through its rustic pages. The Lockwood man could hear the pages violently being turned on the opposing end of the door and instantly started to worry. Katherine had warned him that if Bonnie was reciting anything from the Grimoire then he should get the witch away from the book or steer clear completely. "Bonnie?" he slammed his fist against the door. "Bonnie, don't be stupid. Open the door…now!"

But Bonnie was not listening to anything the man had to say. She had found a spell that could quite possibly incapacitate the man, though the process itself looked as if though it would be very draining on her.

The knocking on the door increased tremendously until Mason finally resulted in kicking at the door. His anger boiled as he would kick the door, take a step back, and kick the door again. It only took a couple tries for the man to get his foot through the weak wooden door before reaching through the hole and unlocking it from the inside. Slowly opening the entrance to the room and taking small strides inside, Bonnie proceeded to take steps back as she exchanged glances between the angry man with dried blood under his nostrils and the Grimoire in her hands. She tried to utter aloud one spell after the other, but nothing was happening. Whoever made the ring Mason was wearing knew their way around even Bennett incantations.

Mason tilted his head before opening his mouth to speak, "Y'know the only reason why I've been so careful not to hurt you is because my nephew is somehow attracted to you, and would never forgive me if I got so much as a scratch on that pretty little face of yours. But that kick to my face…that was a deal breaker." Bonnie didn't know what to do as she found herself backing into a corner of the room and glaring at the muscular goliath who inched in closer to her with every step he took. The young woman had to think quickly if she wanted to evade the man's force, thus she started to mumble a small spell that amplified one of her already powerful abilities. Within inches of reaching out and making a grab for Bonnie's shirt, Mason found himself being thrusted back into the wall behind him, the wallpaper behind him causing a small dint to be show. Falling to the ground in a heap of pain, Mason slowly started to lift himself back up off the ground with a low grumbling noise coming from his chest.

Without hesitation, Bonnie rushed forth and headed for her front door in hopes that she'd be able to get to her father in time and see if he was alright. But before she could even stick her nose out of the door completely, her ankle was once again caught by the mammoth hand of a frustratingly angry Mason.

"You're going to Katherine…one way or another," he threatened the young witch as he started to yank down at her foot. Bonnie, with her hands clutched to the edges of the door frame, pulled herself forward with the planned purpose of getting out of the man's grip. Swiftly turning back her head and looking down at the struggling man, the young witch once again lifted her leg and tried to kick Mason once more in the face. But this time the Lockwood man saw the attack coming and instead counterattacked by grabbing hold of the woman's other ankle with his other hand. The lack of support below Bonnie forced her to immediately fall face first to the hardwood floor, where her mouth started to bleed instantly while her chest felt like it were punched by a brick wall. She moaned in agony while the salty taste in her mouth gave the indication of how much blood was starting to seep through. Her head pounded as if though there were a drummer drumming loudly in her brain, causing her vision to momentarily blur in front of her.

Mason took the opportunity to pull the woman towards him, turning her over on her back and looking down at just how powerless she had become in the short few seconds they were in conflict.

"I don't know what Katherine intends to do with you," the man said to the still dazed woman on the floor, "but she better keep you on a tight leash."

"Ironic words."

A voice in front of Mason immediately caught his attention, but before he could look up to investigate he was rushed by a fierce blur that caused Lockwood to once again fly back within the small room and crashing against a nearby wall. Only this time, something (or rather someone) was holding the muscled man up against the wall with their bare hand.

"Bonnie…get up." The voice rang familiar to the dizzy witch and it somehow gave her a bit of strength to stand up every time she heard his voice. "That a girl."

"Damon?" Bonnie murmured out as she held on to her head with one hand and supported the ground with the other to stand up completely. Looking ahead at one of her dinted walls the woman could see the blue-eyed Salvatore clutching his hands around the neck of Mason who's feet barely touched the ground. The Lockwood man coughed and struggled and clawed away at Damon's grip, but the scratches and marks he would so painfully leave on the vampire would only heal seconds later. The vampire merely scoffed at the werewolf before turning back to see the condition of Bonnie.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern dripping from every word he spoke. The young woman did not respond but instead nodded her head as she leaned her still recovering body on the frame of the door she was by. As the vampire turned his attention back to Mason, his eyes immediately took on their dark malicious black color with his veins popping out around the corners of his face. "Before I kill you," Damon started to say to Mason as his fangs retracted, "What are you and that bitch Katherine up to?"

"Screw you, Salvatore!" the man blurted out, which caused spit to land on the vampire's arm. Damon merely grimaced. "I'm not telling you shit."

"Well…we figured that. That's why we came up with this little thing called collateral." Mason merely scoffed under the vampire's grip, though he still tried desperately to free himself from the chokehold.

"You have nothing to threaten me with. The day I became a werewolf was the day I lost everything."

"Everything, maybe…everyone? I'm not so sure." The Lockwood man narrowed his eyes in confusion as he pondered what the vampire was hinting at. "Bring him in!"

Within seconds, another blur made it's way into the room, shoving it's way past Bonnie and nearly causing her to fall over to the floor. Readjusting her stance, she looked up to see that the blur was as to be expected vampire Stefan Salvatore…but along with someone completely out of nowhere. Under the forceful arm of Stefan was the timid yet hotheaded Lockwood boy, Tyler. Bonnie couldn't help but suddenly feel a burst of adrenaline stream through her veins as she looked on at the incredibly insane scene before her.

"Stefan?" Bonnie questioned with a somewhat hoarse voice. "Stefan, no. What are you doing? This isn't right."

"She's right," Mason intervened almost immediately as he eyed his struggling nephew. "He has nothing to do with this. Just…let him go."

"Ah, but that's where the problem lies," Damon said with a sneer, his grip around the man's neck tightening even more-so. "You're not in the position to give out demands. In fact…" Damon turned and gave Stefan a subtle nod to which his younger brother responded to by reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a small dagger. Mason and Bonnie's eyes grew wider instantly at the same time as they examined the blunt object in the youngest Salvatore's hand.

"Stefan what are you doing?" Bonnie asked aloud, making her way to the vampire who took a step back immediately.

"Trust me, Bonnie." Stefan said as he held on to the struggling Tyler Lockwood.

"F-Fuck you, you fucking leech!" Tyler literally spit out his words as he struggled to pull away from Stefan. The young witch however was not keen to the idea of using Tyler as a means to getting Mason to reveal the location of the Moonstone. In fact, the young witch was hoping that despite the werewolves unruly way of entering her home and violently making way into trying to capture her…she couldn't allow herself to go along with the act in which Stefan and Damon were participating in.

"Stefan this isn't like you. You know this isn't right."

"Gee, thanks for the support," Damon murmured out as he looked back to give the woman a disapproving glance. Even after everything they had been through, the young witch still had that streak of judgment running throughout her veins. "Lest not forget, this is the very same man who just broke into your home and downright beat the living snot out of your father." Bonnie shifted her eyes from Damon to a confused looking Mason. The muscular man opened his mouth to say something, but the grip around his neck suddenly tightened which caused him to choke on his own words.

"Dad?" the woman asked as she took a step towards Damon though her eyes were still planted on mason. Sure, she and her father were not always on the best of terms and they didn't really have that "normal" father-daughter relationship she dreamed of…but he was still her father. Thus he did the best that any father could do to protect their daughter, which in essence came in the form of protecting her from the truth. Still…he was her father and her family. And if anybody were to be bold enough to hurt her family…

"I'm going to ask you again," Damon sneered aloud, "where's the fucking Moonstone."

"Let Tyler go, and I'll tell you." Mason was still trying to give demands which did not sit well with the controlling vampire.

"Stefan…" As soon as his brother called his name, Stefan took the dagger and immediately dragged it into the back of the teenager. Bonnie shrieked out in terror as she looked at the young teenage boy scream out in agony. Pulling out the bloodied dagger, Stefan then held it up to the boy's chest directly above the heart. Mason could feel his anger boiling over as his nephew screamed out in pain and bled from his back to the floor. "Now resources tell me that the Moonstone is located in a well…want to elaborate on where exactly this supposed well is located?" Damon asked the man casually. The defenseless Lockwood man felt tears roll down his cheeks at ever painful moan Tyler let out.

"Its at a well located past a cemetery." Mason blurted out angrily. Damon gave a sinister smirk before smacking the man lightly on the face with his free hand.

"See…that wasn't so hard, now was it?" the vampire teased. "Now what cemetery is this well located?" Mason was silent as he shifted his eyes from one person to the next. "Na-ah," the slender man muttered with a tilt of his head as he turned his attention on Stefan and Tyler again, warning of the dagger positioned above the teenagers heart. The older man merely let out a defeated sigh as he shifted his eyes to the ceiling and stopped trying to fight back the restraints Damon had on him. "I'm surprised," the black haired vampire commented aloud with narrow eyes. "Usually I'm not able to keep a werewolf held down this long…especially so close to the next full moon. Why is that?"

"His ring," Bonnie commented from behind Damon. Everybody looked over at the informative witch. "Yeah - I came across something, not in my Grimoire, but in other means of information; Some enchanted jewelry can have side-effects when dawned by supernatural beings. I'm assuming the hooded couple who made that ring wasn't intending for a werewolf to wear it…that's why his strength has been reduced."

"You witches sure know how to mess up a supernatural's day," Damon joked. "Regardless…where is the Moonstone, and why do you need Bonnie to get it for you?"

"Because she's the only one who can retrieve it for Katherine and…"

"Yeah, yeah, we got all that. We want to know why?"

"…because the Moonstone is secured by Bennett magic that only a Bennett witch can break free. That witch being Bonnie." Eyes were once again turned to the young woman who felt like the world was once again placing every mundane problem on her shoulders. "The Moonstone lies at the bottom of the well, but the well can't be entered in to because of some invisible magic barrier around it. Anybody who doesn't possess the power and knowledge of a Bennett witch won't even have the physical ability to approach mere inches of it. But Bonnie can."

"Where's the well at?" Damon was beginning to grow impatient with the weak man as he squeezed his hands even tighter, on the brink of actually breaking the Lockwood's neck.

"About a mile past the cemetery where Sheila Bennett is buried."

"How do you know all this?" It was the young witch who had spoke up this time around, starting to put together the pieces as to why everything involving the Lockwoods were such "coincidences" .

"I can't tell you…" Mason urged the woman.

"You don't have to," Stefan said as he slowly began releasing his grip on Tyler who, surprisingly no longer showed signs of pain or fear. No - the young Lockwood teen stood straight up in front of Stefan and stared Mason directly in the eyes. Mason gave a bewildered look.

"Tyler? W-What the hell is going on?" Tyler was silent and didn't know how to answer his uncle's question. Instead, he held his head down low and slowly began to depart from the room he was in. Bonnie looked on in amazement at the young Lockwood making his departure from her room, trying to place a hand on his shoulder but not growing the strength to. Even she couldn't explain what was happening at the moment. "Wait! What did you do to my nephew, you fucking bastards?"

"We didn't do anything," Stefan said.

"But…you…you stabbed him…" Bonnie reflected aloud what had happened earlier.

"Yes I did," Stefan responded almost regretfully, "But it was the only way to scare Mason enough to talk. He wouldn't have if he didn't think Tyler was in danger…or worse."

"But even still, Tyler shouldn't have just walked away from an injury like that unless…" The young witch immediately went silent as she came up with the only answer that deemed plausible at that moment; supernatural healing. "…no."

"Katherine got to Tyler's mother." Damon's tone was flat as he explained the situation to the confused woman. "She tried to kill him…but unfortunately the roles got reversed. I guess Tyler just got tired of being dicked around by family members who didn't give a shit about anybody but themselves…so he helped up come up with this plan to get you to talk. I guess he figured if you weren't going to help him get rid of Katherine he'd have to find outside help."

"YOU LIE!" The Lockwood man screamed out in a furious voice. "Katherine would only do what she did if she thought it was necessary."

"So you condone her trying to kill your nephew?" Stefan asked as he took a step forward alongside his older brother, looking up at the helpless Mason.

"I told Tyler that there would be consequences if he ever tried to betray Katherine. All he had to do was be loyal to her…that's it. Now he's…he's…"

"A werewolf."

"Or as I like to call 'em, as good as dead." A sarcastic smile planted itself upon the blue-eyed vampire's face.

"Why would you do this?" Bonnie asked from afar. "Why would you put Tyler…put me through all of this?" Mason merely scoffed at the young woman.

"Because Katherine loves me…and she sacrificed everything for this relationship to work."

"Oh Mason," Damon started to say as he placed one of his hands on the chest of Mason, digging his nails deeper and deeper into him. "The only one making a sacrifice right now…is you."

Without a second notice and before Bonnie could scream out for her vampire boyfriend to stop what he was about to do, he plunged his hand into the chest of Mason Lockwood, viciously tarring out his heart. A poetic end to a tragically poetic tale. The brown eyed Lockwood froze under Damon's grip as his mouth gapped open and his eyes widen with an expression of both surprise…and relief. Sure this meant that the man would no longer be with the woman he truly loved - Katherine. But it also meant that the curse was finally over.

Dropping his hand and allowing the corpse to fall lifeless on the ground below, Damon turned his immediate attention to Bonnie, who stared down at Mason with a look of almost pity. Even despite what he had put her through, it was her compassion that made the witch weak and vulnerable to most things surrounding her. The blue-eyed vampire placed a hand (a clean hand, mind you) upon the woman's chin and lifted it to face him and only him. He locked his ocean eyes with her lucid gems and tried to reassure her without saying anything. It took no time for the woman to thrust her arms around the vampire and squeeze for dear life. Never had the cold felt so warm, or the touch of death make her feel so alive and safe. Damon Salvatore did indeed do everything in his power to protect the young witch…and she saw that more than ever now.

Feeling the touch of the woman's back against his slender fingers, Damon whispered softly, "It's alright, Bonnie."

"No…it's not," she commented as tears forced their way down her face. The two embraced each other tightly as Stefan looked on with curious and shocked eyes. Never had he dreamed he'd see Damon and Bonnie allow each other the opportunity to willingly touch each other (no less hug one another). The eldest Salvatore merely glanced at his brother before wrapping his arm around Bonnie shoulders and taking her out of the room, leaving Stefan to deal with the corpse in Bonnie's room. "Mason…why did you kill him?" the woman asked as they left the room.

"Would you rather I didn't?" Damon asked as he led them both into the bathroom down the hall. Closing the door behind them and turning on the faucet, Damon started to rinse his bloodied hand before grabbing a couple sheets of toilet paper and dapping down on the blood and cuts the woman sustained earlier. Almost as soon as he reached for Bonnie's injury with his hand, the young woman's eyes widened and her heartbeat quickened instantly.

"Oh my God…Dad!" She bolted for the door, but Damon grabbed a hold of the witch and held her in place before giving her another look of reassurance.

"He's fine…a couple bruises on the head and a scarred ego wasn't enough to take him out completely. Hmph…one could only wonder what he was like with powers."

"But you said Mason…"

"I may have stretched out how bad your dad was hurt so I could get you to stop asking questions every second we were interrogating him; made it easier for you to side with us for a change." Slowly leading the woman back to the faucet, he lifted her up off her feet and sat her on top of the faucet counter in the hopes she wouldn't try running out on him again. "Now, isn't that better?" he asked as he continued to dap away some of the blood on her body.

"Tyler…how…?"

"Like we said earlier - Katherine got to his mother. She tired to kill him, but he ended up killing her. Another day in the life of the Lockwoods." The caramel skinned woman merely shook her head in disbelief.

"But Mason loved him…why would he allow things to escalate to this point with his own nephew, knowing the consequences?"

"Katherine is a sneaky, conniving, manipulating, cold-hearted bitch who couldn't give two-shits about anything or anybody but herself. That's exactly why Tyler suggested we kill Mason."

"What?"

"Never thought the kid had that kind of darkness in him to be honest…but then again he is a teenager and like I said before teen angst seems to be all the rave nowadays, so…" Damon tossed the bloodied tissue away in the trash bin before turning his attention to the medicine cabinet in search for some sort of antibacterial ointment. "…but besides all that, thanks for asking how I'm doing 'cause I'm great." Even the man's dark, sarcastic humor didn't seem to bring out the intended smile or chuckle from the woman which forced him to put on a more serious expression and stop what he was doing. Looking the woman straight in the eyes, the vampire perched his lips and lifted his hand once again to her face. "Look, I'm sorry. I know this is all pretty hard to swallow…but remember you're not dealing with it alone."

"That's just the problem," Bonnie said with a pathetic smile. "I'm not dealing with this alone, and now that I know everybody is putting their life on the line for me…it's overwhelming."

"Hey, if we can do it for Elena then we sure as hell can do it for you." The man's words hit a nerve in Bonnie (but not in a bad way). "Remember. Trust."

"Why would you sacrifice so much for a girl you just learned to like?" she asked almost frantically.

"Tyler didn't hesitate to have Stefan dig that dagger in his back the moment he heard you were in trouble…that's what I refer to as like." The man set his hands on the counter with his arms on either side of the woman, leaning in closely to her face. "I'm willing to kill a woman I've been obsessing over for the past one hundred plus years…that's what I refer to as love." The woman felt herself squirm at the "L" word every time it was muttered. Perhaps it was the fact she wasn't use to Damon saying it? Or perhaps it was the fact she wasn't use to it being said to her? Swallowing the knot in her throat, the young witch decided to humor the man and decipher just what he meant by "love"?

"You don't love me, Damon."

"I think I do, otherwise I wouldn't have said it within vampire ears." He was, of course, referring to Stefan who by now was about to go into a heart attack. "And why is it such a problem if I do…it's not like I'm forcing you to say it back."

"But that's what love is. Knowing that when you say it to somebody you care about, they'll say it back."

"I thought the cliché was 'never having to say 'I love you' at all'?" A sly smirk grew on the man's face. Bonnie, though amused by his response, still didn't have the strength or the means to smile.

"It hasn't even been a month and you're claiming a profound emotion for me? An emotion that is the center of all the drama that is going on right now?" There was almost a hint of anger in the woman's voice as she questioned the vampire, which in turn cause him to back up a bit.

"Are we really going to have an argument about this? After what just happened, mind you?"

"You persist to keep bringing up the fact that you love me…I'm just trying to set the record straight."

"You already told me you didn't love me earlier today…are you really trying to destroy any hope I may have left for humanity?" The man's head was positioned towards the ground while a growing frustration built within him. "Must you always be so damn stubborn? Quite honestly I thought we'd be over this by now."

Bonnie was silent as she sat on the faucet counter silently. The man waited for a response, but when he didn't receive one he merely nodded his head up and down.

"Fine, Bonnie. You want to keep playing this song and dance with me…fine. But don't think just because I've allowed Elena to walk all over me that gives you the right also." That caught the witch's attention.

"I've never walked all over you."

"Sure you haven't."

"Damon…"

"Forget it, Bonnie."

"No…don't forget it. I can't believe you're actually going to stand there and say something like that. After all I've done to ensure that things would work out, and you're honestly going to say that to me? Like…like I'm using you?"

"I just said forget it."

"No, fuck that!" Bonnie did not know why she was furious or why the man's words struck her in such a negative way, but she was determined to set him straight on just how she felt about the vampire. "There were so many times in the past when I could have just thrown in the towel, but I decided that you deserved a chance at some type of redemption. I set aside my own differences to assure that you'd be happy enough to not want to kill somebody. And now that I've learned I've developed feelings for you…I can't think of why I wouldn't want to see you happy. Yet you think I'm walking all over you?"

"You may want to keep your voice down a bit," the suave man inquired silently, but it wasn't enough to calm the angered witch at all.

"Why, Damon? My father already knows how I feel about you and Stefan sure as hell probably knows by now. What should we care anymore?"

"Funny - coming from a witch who seemed more interested in Tyler's feelings than mine." That statement literally caused the woman to let out a humorless chuckle. "If I weren't mistaken, I'd think you love him and not me."

"But that's just the thing…I don't love Tyler - I LOVE YOU, DUMBASS!"

The bathroom went quiet as the witch and the vampire stared at each other intensely, the words that seeped through Bonnie's mouth adding much more weight upon Damon's argument. Keeping their short distance from one another it took no time at all for Damon to take Bonnie by the face and engage in a passionate kiss with her. The young woman herself didn't hold back as she grabbed the man's hair and allowed for him to overpower her completely. His cool lips slowly began to make their way down to her neck where he ran his tongue so violently across. Clutching against the man's shirt and wanting to feel each and every inch of his defined physique, Bonnie wrapped her legs around the man's torso and prayed to God that if they were to have sex in the bathroom right then and there…she'd be quiet enough not to alarm anybody in the house.

Surely one would think that sex could be the least likely thing somebody would do after almost being kidnapped and witnessing a killing. But Bonnie was tired of trying to associate normalcy with the world of the supernatural, and Damon was tired of hiding his hurt and emotions behind killings and sarcasm. Both of them needed an outlet from the craziness of the world…both needed each other.

As Damon's mouth found it's way to the woman's cleavage, he began to untuck his black shirt from under his pants. Bonnie, nervous as ever, felt her thighs beginning to shake as an overwhelming feeling of guilt and pleasure took over. Yes - she wanted Damon at that very moment, very much. But she still had to see about Tyler and her father and the welfare of everybody else involved. Even if it meant setting aside pleasure for one more day…it was just in the witch's nature.

"Wait…" Bonnie whispered aloud, though it sounded more like a hoarse moan. With closed eyes and a looser grip on the man, the nervous girl bit her lip before completely letting go of Damon's body. "…we can't do this right now."

"Why not?" Damon asked, though he himself knew the answer; He wanted to see if Bonnie would indeed follow through with her halt.

"You know why not."

"And you know me too well."

"So you know that we can't do this right now?" More silence fell between them before the let down man pulled back and released a defeated sigh.

"Y'know this isn't easy for me, right?" Bonnie merely nodded her head as she jumped down off the counter and straightened herself. "I mean…sex is almost as important to me as breathing." The woman merely chuckled as she leaned up to kiss the man on his smooth chin.

"Then it must not be that important considering you don't really breathe."

"It's the principle." The man raised his eyebrows as he took hold of Bonnie's hand and prepared for them both to exit the bathroom and prepare for the on-look of surprise. But just as the man reached for the doorknob and proceeded to open the door, the young woman stopped him short and pulled him closer to her.

"Wait…before we go back out there, I think I need to explain something. When I said 'I love you'…what I meant was…" but before the woman could continued, Damon lifted a finger to the woman's lips to stop her from speaking.

"I already told…you never have to say it, remember?" Damon smirked his famous smirk and leaned down to give Bonnie a kiss one last time on the lips before he escorted the two of them out of the bathroom - hand in hand. Of course Bonnie wouldn't had been so guiddy if she knew that Damon intended for the argument to lead to the exact path he wanted (a trick he learned from Katherine many centuries ago). He knew Bonnie harbored some type of love for him…he just had to know which buttons to push to get her to admit it herself. And obviously it worked out perfectly.

Bonnie said she loved Damon, and that was enough for him.

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**I meant for this chapter to be released on Valentine's Day (hence the title), but again...drama, drama, drama. Anyhoo...this chapter was me combining two chapters together. So as you can tell it is uuuuuuuuuber long. The next chapter isn't far off as I'm putting the finishing touches on it as we speak. Thank you all again for the support, I really mean it. Peace :)**


	21. The Moonstone

**As usual, I have to thank all of you out there that have been just simply amazing during the time I started writing this story. It means a lot to know that you're all enjoying yourselves with this story. Thank you for all the comments and all the positive words you had to share with me the last time I was on here...your words were very reassuring. Well the story is coming to a close everyone. With 2-3 more chapters, "Rose In A Concrete World" will be over. But maybe, just perhaps, I'll sneak a sequel up on the likes of you all. We'll see xD Enjoy

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**Chapter 21 - The Moonstone**

Stefan stood from his place next to Mr. Bennett whom was situated on the couch, sharing the same expression while observing both Damon and Bonnie. The blue-eyed vampire and brunette witch stood on the opposite side of the room with one another, holding each others' hands and finding it difficult to make eye contact with Stefan and Mr. Bennett. It was hard for both Bennetts to learn that the witch causing all the drama in Mystic Falls was indeed a member of their own immediate family. The young Bennett witch couldn't understand how her mother could be the cause of so much that had transpired, and why it had to come to this? Tyler Lockwood was too busy sulking in the nearby kitchen, still unable to wrap his head around the fact that he had killed his mother a mere hour ago. Truth be told, the young teenager would have handed himself over to the police if it wasn't for Damon talking him out of the entire ordeal. Quite honestly it didn't take much to pursue the young boy to listen to reason, especially when it involved Bonnie's well-being in the mix.

Simple methods the Salvatore man used to get what he wanted.

Granted, they weren't methods that he himself completely created. No - Stefan was more present in molding Damon into the man that he was today…but apparently none of that mattered now. All the youngest sibling had to do was develop some sort of epiphany and change his evil ways, thus allowing him the privilege to have anything (and anyone) he wanted. That was complete bullshit. Damon had long since played the good guy and had always put his feelings on the back-burner for others, even after he had been transformed into a vampire. But did that allow him any special privileges? Did people treat him with respect or gave him the benefit of the doubt?

Hell no.

Nobody cared about Damon; his father, Katherine, holier-than-thou Stefan…even Elena. Whether he was a "good" guy or a "bad" guy, nobody every wanted to give Damon Salvatore his due. Thus over the years his bitterness towards the world grew, his hate for his brother became more of a boring hobby to help past the time in eternity, and the obsession he once carried for Katherine was nothing more than a desperate attempt in finding true love that was never really there. And Elena…well…Elena was suppose to substitute the love he harbored for Katherine, but as usual nothing he hoped for came to fruition. So instead of devoting so much time and energy in the world, he instead began to fight against it; using every excuse he could find to justify all of his disgraceful actions and relieving himself of any emotion he had hidden away in the darkened heart behind his hard chest. But as it turned out, the minute he turned his back on society (both human and vampire alike), Damon came across a completely mind-altering playing field that caught him off guard.

Bonnie Bennett.

There was no real reason for him to say that he loved her or that he even liked her. Sure he could blame it on the uncontrollable heightened emotions that a vampire inhabits, or the need to pick the first girl who he may show a bit of interest to…but even Damon could not trick himself into believing that what he was feeling for the Bennett witch was nothing more than a mere crush. As stated before by the man, he falls in love quickly, and he believed that he had fallen in love with Bonnie Bennett. Maybe it was the time they spent together and the shared near-death experiences that drew them closer in a way that anybody could have fallen in love? Or perhaps it was the realization that both he and the mocha colored woman shared so much in common though their stories of reason differed extremely? Or just maybe it was the fact that they were made for each other in a way that nobody would be able to comprehend…nobody but them? And to be completely honest, that was good enough for the vampire. He didn't need permission to love who he wanted, and he believed he loved Bonnie.

At that moment a knock on the door prompted Stefan to rush over to open it, revealing a worrisome Elena. The black haired woman looked over at her emerald-eyed friend and let out a gasp of relief, rushing past Stefan to wrap her arms tightly around Bonnie.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Elena stated loudly which brought out a small smile from Bonnie. "I'm so sorry this happened to you." Embracing each other for some time, Mr. Bennett decided it best to take leave into the kitchen and check up on Tyler while leaving Stefan, Damon, Bonnie and Elena alone in the living room. "How did you know to be here, I thought you'd come and get me from class so we could ride together at your home?" Bonnie was silent as she loosened herself from the warm embrace of her friend.

"I…uh…I wasn't at school today." Bonnie admitted rather shyly. Taking a couple steps back towards Damon and reaching behind with her hand, she waited until those electric fingers that brought a chill to her securely gripped her own hand firmly. The look of concern that was once on Elena's face was quickly replaced with a look of shock (and a bit of horror). "I was with Damon…we're sort of…we're kind of…"

"You're together?" Elena asked with her tone taking on the voice of somebody that was painfully confused. Damon couldn't help but smirk at the woman, finding it hilarious how it took him being with somebody else for Elena to recognize jut exactly what it was she was missing. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. "But you two hate each other…I don't understand."

"Well it like this, Elena," Damon said, squeezing the grip around Bonnie's hand and looking up at the ceiling as if though he were in deep thought. "When two people really care about each other, and they want to showcase that affection…"

"Damon." Bonnie whispered the man's name softly, urging him to stop antagonizing her friend. The slender man made a sour face but obeyed the woman's small command. "Elena…it's kind of hard to explain. I didn't expect any of this to happen, but it did."

"How long has this been going on?" Elena asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"A day. Two maybe?"

"Two days?"

"Maybe." The room went silent as all eyes were focused in on Elena and the many expressions she tried to keep hidden to herself. "Look," Bonnie released her grip from Damon as she went to take hold of her friend's pale hand, "I know this is probably a lot for you to take in, and it's the only reason I kept what I was feeling for Damon a secret for so long."

"Bonnie, I…"

"Elena, I know. But I knew you had enough on your own plate to deal with before you started to worry about my problems. Besides, Damon and I needed the time alone to actually come to terms with this; realize just what the hate we harbored for one another really instituted as."

"Love?"

Bonnie was silent at Elena's question. Despite the fact she blurted out she loved the blue-eyed vampire, she knew it was mainly out of a fit of frustration. Damon, on the other hand, could care less from then on out if the woman never said she loved him again. He just needed that one moment to prove that she did share the same feelings he had for her, and that nothing else forth mattered.

"I think it's something they need to find out from each other," Stefan interrupted in the conversation as he steered his comment towards Elena, seeing how difficult it was for Bonnie to answer the girl's question. "They need to see where they stand as a couple, much like we did. Considering everything they've done for us…we owe 'em that much."

"You're not concerned?" Damon asked aloud, crossing his arms over his chest and narrowing his eyes. It wasn't like Stefan to completely support anything that the eldest Salvatore brother proposed…so the suspicious man had his doubts about just how genuine his brother's words were. "Aren't you going to bring up some mention of my tragic past or how much of a mess I'll make of this all?" Stefan looked over at his brother and gave a sad smile.

"I heard the conversation you and Bonnie had in the bathroom. For the first time in centuries I recognized my brother; the human side of him." Damon's face went to stone. He hadn't realized the words he spoke to the young witch until Stefan brought the conversation back up. "That side of you I unintentionally destroyed so many, many, many generations ago…and it has pained me to see you go down such a destructive path because I wasn't there to help you. But when I heard you talk to Bonnie the way you did, and when I realized just what kind of journey it must have taken to get to that point - realized the monster inside of you was momentarily gone. You were no longer a vampire…you were my brother, Damon. The brother that deserved love more than I did."

The oldest Salvatore brother merely looked at his brother, speechless at the words that were spoken to him. He didn't know how to respond, and honestly wasn't sure if he wanted to. For generations Damon had grown immune to hating his brother and making his life a living hell…but that was to ease the pain of a lifestyle that he never wanted. However his perspective of things started to change; Bonnie brought out a human element in him, Elena was no longer the apple of affection, and Stefan was no longer an enemy.

No, he was a brother. A brother that saw the errors of his ways and put up with Damon's torture to better appease the tarnished affection that was between them. All of this in the span of a couple of weeks. All of this because of Bonnie.

"We're getting off track…we need to focus on this Moonstone," Damon said, trying to change the subject and avoid any heart-to-heart moment with Stefan. The youngest Salvatore brother gave a somewhat disappointed glance, but none the less opened his ears for listening. "Now that we know where it is, how are we going to be sure that Bonnie's mother won't be there to try and take full control of it once it's released from it's spell?"

"Wait, you found the Moonstone?" Elena asked. "Where?"

"Just past my Grams's grave," Bonnie answered. "Mason said something about it being protected by magic and a Bennett witch being the only person able to retrieve it."

"Which is exactly why Katherine has been so adamant about getting her hands on Bonnie," Stefan said.

Damon uncrossed his arms from over his chest and instead placed his hands upon his hips before speaking up, "None of this still makes any sense. What would she want with the Moonstone, and how did she lose it in the first place?"

"She didn't lose it." Mr. Bennett's voice boomed from the kitchen entrance which caught the attention of the two teenage girls and two male vampires. "My mother, Sheila, took it." Bonnie gave a surprised look as she turned her eyes to stare down her father.

"What?" she questioned.

"I guess I forgot to let you know how the Moonstone got placed in your Grams's hand to begin with. Got too…distracted with other subjects, I guess." Mr. Bennett made his way into the room further with Tyler trailing not too far behind him. "When your mother stripped my abilities away, I was visiting your Grams at the time. Neither one of us could prepare for the onslaught of furry she brought, however your mother couldn't prepare to be facing your Grams. So when everything was said and done your Grams took matters into her own hands. I was too weak to notice completely, but near the end of the confrontation she had possession of the Moonstone once again and was preparing to give me back my powers." Taking a seat on his favorite couch, the bald man glanced around the room at all the different people he never imagined would work together in a million years; vampire, witch, werewolf, and human all united. "But at the last minute I made up my mind about my powers. I didn't want them anymore…I never really did. Instead I told her to hide the Moonstone and keep it in a place where nobody, supernatural or human, could get to. Clearly I see now that she only left the spell open for Bennett witches to tamper with…figures she'd find a loophole around what I had asked."

Bonnie walked closer to her father as she keeled down to his eye level, "So Grams never gave you your powers back even though she had the power to?"

"If I had known that this future would come to pass, I wouldn't have been so selfish. I would have taken back my powers with no argument if it meant protecting my baby girl." Bonnie felt herself getting misty eyed as she wrapped her arms around her father tightly, never realizing how much he had sacrificed of himself to ensure that she would have as normal a life as he could provide. Still she only wished that he wouldn't be so damn demanding from time to time. Nearby, Tyler let out a small cough to let everybody know that he planned on speaking.

"I…um…I think it's time I get going," the young teen said. Everybody, especially the brown skinned witch, gave a curious look to Tyler.

"No…you can't go," Bonnie urged. "Not with everything that has happened and the Moonstone and…"

"That's exactly why he has to go," Stefan said. "We don't know if your mother is aware of Katherine's betrayal, therefore she'll assume immediately that if Mason was apart of it then Tyler must have been also. Not only that but if Katherine gets wind of what has happened, she'll no doubt come after Tyler, too. He's better off taking leave somewhere that Katherine won't find him. Don't worry…he'll be protected on his way to where he needs to go." Bonnie listened to Stefan's explanation and couldn't help but feel herself grow numb. She wasn't entirely sure as to why, but she knew that she didn't want to see the Lockwood teen go…not this way. Not yet.

"Isn't there some other way?" the woman asked as she stood straight up, exchanging glances between Stefan and Tyler, trying her hardest not to notice the hard expression on Damon's face. The olive skinned Lockwood boy approached Bonnie but stopped short in front of her, afraid that any close quarter contact would set Damon ablaze with jealous anger; it wasn't difficult to see that the Salvatore vampire looked at the Bennett witch as his and his alone. He didn't share…not anything or anyone.

"I have to do this Bonnie," Tyler said, "there's nothing else here for me in Mystic Falls. Well…nothing at the present moment I guess." He shifted his eyes quickly in Damon's direction before going over to the front door and picking up a brown backpack to sling over his shoulder. The Bennett girl wiped her eyes of the tear streaks that she knew were evident on her face.

"But what about your mom and everything?"

"Stefan and I took care of that," Damon spoke up this time.

"How?" she asked curiously. "How do you explain a dead body that belonged to the council, not to mention explaining it to the sheriff who is a member of said council?"

"There will be no dead body present, thus nothing left to explain." Seeing as to how the young witch was still giving a dumbfounded look, Damon proceeded to continue explaining further. "As far as the town, but most importantly the sheriff, is concerned, Miss Lockwood abandons her duties as mother out of grief, depression, and fear of being a single mother. Once that rumor starts circulating around, news of Tyler's runaway becomes more believable and less suspicious. Granted it would be odd to have the family of the late Mayor suddenly disappear, but its better than having a murder charge pinned on the boy and having evidence lead back to all of us." The young Bennett witch didn't want to accept what was, but knew there was really no other way. She hated herself for not seeing sooner that all the cries of help Tyler was sharing with her were real - every single cry.

"I'm so sorry I didn't help you sooner," Bonnie muttered aloud with a weak sounding voice. Tyler merely smirked as he held his head down to the ground.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't honest to begin with. Maybe none of this would have escalated to the point it did if I were just open with you from the start?" The room was silent, with nothing but the growing sound of wind outside intensifying with very second that passed.

"He'll be alright," Stefan assured the woman. "Damon and I made sure he'd be financially secure on his own for the next couple full moons." Looking over at the man, Stefan gave a slight nod. "You should probably get going." Tyler nodded his head in agreement, but not before both Elena and Bonnie ran up to the young man with arms spread wide. The three teens embraced each other tightly, finding it hard to let go of what could be their last meeting together.

"Please keep in contact as soon as possible," Elena murmured with her face planted in the man's shoulder.

"I will," Tyler responded lightly before having to pull himself off of the two teens and reach out for the front doorknob. He looked over at Damon and gave a somewhat serious expression. "You take care of her," he warned the cocky vampire. "Cause I will be back…and I will find out." The two men stared each other down for what felt like eternity before the Lockwood boy made his exit out of the Bennett residence. As everybody stood where they were, it went without saying that the time for action was indeed needed at that point. Having knowledge of the Moonstone, knowing the enemies they would soon face, and growing confident in the plan they had…the endgame had now approached.

Damon, Bonnie, and Mr. Bennett drove in the vampire's black Chevy ahead of Stefan and Elena who were situated in Mr. Bennett's car. The couple was silent as they listened to the roar of the car engine and the whistling sound of the wind outside. Keeping his eyes focused on the blackened street ahead of him, the man looked at the troubled young witch through his peripheral vision. For a moment, it seemed as if though nobody would say anything, until Mr. Bennett found it necessary to say the things he wanted to ask.

"Y'know," he started, "I'd be lying to myself if I said I wasn't concerned about the fact my daughter has taken an interest in a vampire. A Salvatore none the less." Damon clenched his jaw as he lifted his eyes up to the review mirror that showcased the tall man's disapproving expression. Bonnie was silent as usual, not wanting to start in on another unnecessary argument with her father (especially since they had just made up with one another).

"Well you shouldn't worry yourself," Damon responded with a forced smile that vanished almost as fast as it came. "Besides neither of us are going to be persuaded out of this relationship we've made with one another…so another long winded conversation about it will just be a waste of time."

"Oh, I figured as much." Mr. Bennett said with a nod of his head. "That's why I've come to a decision that once we get a hold of the Moonstone…Bonnie is going to help me get my powers back." The statement forced Bonnie to turn her head around and glance at her father in what could only be described as joy. Deep inside she had hoped to meet a witch like herself, one up to par with her Grams; who better than her own father.

"But why do you want your powers now all of sudden?" she asked.

Damon merely scoffed as he thought it best to open his mouth to respond., "He needs something more concrete than words to threaten me with. What better way to keep me in check than to have him gain his powers back." Bonnie looked shocked and appalled at her father for his reasoning for wanting his powers back.

"I can't believe you," Bonnie said, still turned towards her father. "After everything Damon has done to protect you and I, you still can't find it in yourself to give him a chance?"

"I'm not naive, Bonnie," Bonnie's father responded with a confident smile. "Truth of the matter is witches, especially us Bennett witches, have an atrocious history with vampires. The minute we lay trust in them is the minute we've given up our right to be free. They haven't changed for centuries…why would they change now?"

"Because one of these vampires loves me…and I love him." Though the words didn't come out as confidently as the young witch had hoped they would, she knew simply uttering them would help increase her father's anger in her.

"I told you before…it's not love that you're feeling. Just because this vampire can't compel you doesn't mean he doesn't have other ways of manipulation."

"Yet here we are arguing over the same thing again, and Damon has still not given me one reason why I shouldn't trust him - why I shouldn't invest something into this relationship I've gained with him."

Once Bonnie stopped speaking to her father and turned around in her seat, silence fell over the car like an empty abyss. Surprisingly the strong-willed and unconventional vampire was silent for most of the conversation, not uttering one word in defense for himself. It took the young female some time to realize it herself after a couple idle seconds passed by, causing her to turn her head slightly over and examine the chiseled faced man riving beside her.

"Are you alright?" she asked silently, though she was pretty sure that her father would be able to hear the words she uttered aloud. Damon merely shrugged his shoulder. The young witch gave a somewhat perplexed look, expecting the man to respond with a snarky remark about her father or give one of his signature smiles that was usually complimented with the overly expressive blue eyes of his. "What's wrong? Why are you so quiet?" At that moment Bonnie felt herself beginning to grow worried. "Damon?" The woman's tone was urgent as she placed warm fingers upon the cold hand of the pale vampire.

That brought a smile out of him.

"So you do love me?" he finally asked after the car began to come to a crawling halt in the graveyard parking lot. Bonnie felt herself growing red, still slightly embarrassed about expressing her intimate feelings of Damon in front of her father. "Y'know that's twice that you've told me you love me in the span of what - a day since we made this official?" The woman held her head down, allowing strains of her hair to fall over her face and cover the light blush under her caramel cheeks. Taking off his seatbelt and setting his car in park, Damon leaned over to Bonnie and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Please…" Mr. Bennett scoffed under his breath as he crossed his arms and turned to look out the window. The vampire finally couldn't hold his tongue anymore, snapping his head back towards the bald man with dark black eyes and veins covering most of his face. The retracted fangs made it more difficult for Damon to speak, but his words were still audible even to the hardest hearer.

"Listen you," the angry vampire spit out angrily, clutching the car seats so tightly they looked like they would implode any second, "I've tried playing the nice guy to you long enough, but quite honestly you're starting to piss me off. Now I love your daughter, and whether or not you believe it is none of your concern."

"She's a seventeen year old child…she's more than just my concern," Mr. Bennett retorted back boldy.

"She's a seventeen year old witch that has been carrying the weight of an entire town and a supernatural relic on her shoulders while you do nothing but criticize and bitch at her."

"You don't tell me…"

"I'll tell you exactly what you need to be told!" Damon screamed out, causing both Bennett's in the car to flinch in fear. Bonnie placed a hand on the man's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down some. Usually she'd scold the vampire for resorting to such measures while speaking with her father…but even she couldn't argue that her father had it coming. "Whether you want to see it or not, me and Bonnie have something special between us. So while you plot and plan how you're going to kill me and all this other bullshit I know you're thinking about right now, why don't you take an unselfish moment to think how that may affect Bonnie. How once again her father took something away from her that was important because he felt he was doing the right thing." Mr. Bennett was silent as he watched the human features in Damon's face slowly transition back.

"I'm only doing what's best for Bonnie," The Bennett man uttered aloud. "If you truly love her, than you wouldn't deny her the normal life that supernaturals are not permitted." Damon clenched his jaw as he listened to the man speak, hating that he was making a point right after he gave such a great speech. "Sooner or later you're both are going to have to realize that forever is not possible because we want it to be. Love is not just an emotion we feed off of, but it's an act of being and an act of doing." The young woman merely chuckled aloud as she unhinged her seatbelt and prepared herself to exit the car with the Grimoire held against her chest.

"Then I guess I'll have to prove you wrong," the woman clarified out loud. "Because even if I have to deny you your powers back to keep Damon safe…I will." Both men in the car looked at Bonnie with a expression of shock. Exiting the car and following his daughter who was making her way around to the blue-eyed vampire, Mr. Bennett grabbed the witch by the arm and turned her around to face him.

"Bonnie, you would deny your father the right to his power?" Mr. Bennett's question was met with a stone faced Bonnie.

"I've tried and tried to reason with you…and I've tried and tried to convince you to let me carry on with my relationship with Damon. But you've just proven that despite all the feelings I poured out and all the emotions I shared with you, you still feel it necessary to take away a part of my life that I need; a part of my life that will be empty and hollow and without reason." The young witch pulled herself away from her father. "You made the decision to give up you powers, but now I hold the decision on whether or not I should give them back. And unless I feel like you're going to start trusting me and allowing me to make my own decisions…then I'll just develop the same attitude you do; control the important aspects of your life without your say. Then you'll know how it feels to be betrayed and hurt by someone who claims they love you."

Mr. Bennett was silent as his eyes shifted towards the ground, feeling like he was powerless to fight against Bonnie's demand. Sure he could always kill Damon the moment he convinced the young witch to give him his powers back…but did he really want to risk losing the only child he had dedicated his heart and soul to? Was it worth trying to make a point by demolishing the trust he was slowly trying to regain? In the end…would it really be worth it? Leaving her father to think where he was standing, the female witch went to Damon's side, held him by the hand and met up with Stefan and Elena next to them.

"Lets go," Bonnie urged the small group as they made way towards the Moonstone several miles ahead.

The setting sun only reminded the lot of them that daylight would soon be no longer on their side and they would have to work twice a fast to get the Moonstone before Katherine and the hooded couple found out. The sight of the unusually thick fog up ahead at the graveyard made the creep factor of the place increase even more so. Trees hung over the site with branches that looked as if though they were moments away from breaking off, especially with the wind blowing and howling like the banshees. Crows cawed in every direction and the overwhelming feeling of anxiety fell over the group simultaneously. Slowly but surely, they each approached Shelia Bennett's grave with Mr. Bennett trailing slowly behind them; he did not want to see his mother's headstone again.

Too painful the first time…even more-so the second.

"This is Sheila's grave…" Damon said, finding it difficult to stand in front of the headstone with Bonnie next to him. Even for Bonnie it was a bit awkward to be holding hands with the man who was partially responsible for her grandmother's death. But then she had to remind herself that what was past was past, and she had forgiven Damon a long time ago about the whole tomb situation. Despite how uncomfortable the sight may have been for the two of them…it wasn't going to jeopardize what they were trying to accomplish now. Clutching his hand tighter around the witch's hand, Damon released a loud sigh and started forward towards to the Moonstone location.

"We gotta keep moving forward," he said softly to the group. It was at that very moment that he realized telling Mr. Bennett the true nature behind Sheila Bennett's death would not be in his best interest. Perhaps in a future where Bonnie and Damon were no longer a couple and leaving the vampire the luxury to unleash painful secrets just to be spiteful…but for now…no.

The group of five inched closer and closer to the Moonstone's resting area, noticing a large brick well that seemed to be free of any fog surrounding it. Green vines wrapped themselves around the brick structure while the faint sound of rustling water echoed from within the hole. As opposed to all the dead browning grass that overtook the cemetery, the well was encircled by a unusually fresh coat of vibrant green grass. But what caught immediate attention was the still body laying lifeless nearby the well - the familiar "_Mc_" sigh with the red halo above the hand of the victim was as present.

"That's it," Stefan uttered aloud as he let go of Elena's hand to step forward towards the well. "And from the looks of it, we're not alone." Damon followed suite by letting his grip go of Bonnie and walking alongside his brother. The two females instantly intertwined fingers while the cautious witch took note of her surroundings, readying herself should the need to read a spell from the Grimoire occur.

"You two stay clear back there while me and Stefan go and investigate," Damon commanded. Both women complied with nods. Watching the men ahead, Elena decided to speak up to her friend while the boys were up ahead investigating the dead body that was obviously the work of the McCullough witch, Bonnie's mother.

"Bon, I just wanted to say I'm sorry if I hit you with an overload of questions when you told me what was going on between you and Damon earlier," Elena inquired silently to her friend, though she was sure the two vampires ahead of them could hear every word being spoken. "I guess I…I just…"

"I know Elena," Bonnie chimed in pleasantly though her expression was a bit stone. It was no secret that her friend probably did harbor some form of affection for the older Salvatore brother…she just wasn't prepared to address the issue head on. Elena could see that her words were only going to make things more awkward for Bonnie and her new boyfriend. "If there's anything I know more, it's my best friend. I guess it should have been expected…I'm not really…"

"Are you happy?" Elena interrupted the woman hesitantly, almost as if though the words were forced out of her. Her brown eyes met with her friend's emerald pools for an answer. The witch merely shrugged her shoulders before shifting under her light jacket uncomfortably. There was not reason for Bonnie to be so incredibly insecure around her friend about this subject.

"If I have to answer that question on the spot right now…then the answer is yes." The black haired woman nodded her head in response to her friend. "Why?"

"If you're happy than I'm happy."

"As much as I want to believe that, I know the torch he held for you…probably still does." The woman gave a worried expression. "And to be honest, I don't expect him to just give up everything for me. I'm nothing special." The Gilbert teen furrowed her eyes to give Bonnie a scolding look, surprise that she would refer to herself as 'nothing'.

"Bonnie…if anything you're more special than the entire town of Mystic Falls. You've been able to do things that most witches need years of training to do. At least, from what I've read."

"You're just saying that, Elena. But facts are facts - I'm only needed when my powers are involved. Nobody wants _me_, Bonnie Bennett."

"Damon seems to want you." The caramel skinned woman nudged her friend lightly before revealing a small smile. "He seems to care greatly for you. And honey that should be proof enough that you're important. Most of all you're important to me…not as just a friend, but like a sister."

Bonnie felt herself getting emotional at Elena's words, finding comfort in the fact that there was no tension between them and everything seemed to be copasetic.

"I must admit though…you and Damon certainly have gone from mortal enemies to lovers rather strangely. I mean, sure me and Stefan had a rough start to our relationship, but I never tried to kill the man. And to the best of my knowledge Stefan never tried to kill me."

"It's like my Grams use to say, '_You can look to the past and to the future for answers all you want, but if you ignore your present self then you're missing out on the opportunity for a fresh start'._"

"Sounds like something from a fortune cookie," Damon blurted out suddenly from ahead of the two young girls. Bonnie and Elena gave the man a disapproving look, upset that he was intentionally listening in on their conversation.

"Way to be discreet, Damon," the witch said with an arched eyebrow. The vampire merely scoffed as he continued to look around the well.

"Whatever, just come here and check this out." Making way towards the well with Elena at her side, the Bennett witch turned her head quickly to see how her father was holding up. He looked distraught, depressed even - obviously re-mourning the death of Sheila Bennett. When Bonnie finally made it towards the well, she was immediately introduced to a feeling that seemed to compel her to take a step back against her will.

"I don't know why, but I feel like this force keeps pushing me away from the well," Bonnie uttered aloud, letting go of Elena and opening her Grimoire for some type of answer.

"That's exactly what we me and Damon have been feeling…under no circumstance are able to fill in those last few inches of the well. It's obviously what's keeping Katherine and your mother from entering themselves. I think now is as good a time than ever to break this invisible barrier." Without saying a word, Bonnie nodded her head and flipped the pages of her Grimoire until she came across a counter magic-barrier spell. With the wind blowing at top speed, the Bennett witch uttered the Latin words aloud with her eyes half closed and her body tensed. She wasn't sure why, but she could feel something heavy being lifted from the well…something extremely heavy. For a split second, the woman stopped with the incantation and instead released a huge gasp, finding it difficult to follow through with the spell. But it was encouragement of a her father that helped to give her that bunt of confidence.

"You can do it, baby girl." Mr. Bennett uttered aloud, still feet away from the rest of the group. "Remember, you're a Bennett witch. Nothing is too small or too large for you to handle."

The words of confidence helped the young female witch to channel the correct energy to the magical barrier. Within mere seconds, the spell Sheila had cast was broken for Bonnie to enter the well and retrieve the Moonstone. Feeling light headed she found herself stumbling over until Damon rushed to her side to break her fall. The small traces of blood that made it's way down her nostril may have been a concern for everybody else, but for Bonnie it was a reminder that despite how much blood she shed…she could still press forth.

"You should probably rest for a bit," Stefan suggested, "We don't want to risk you getting hurt and…"

"I'm going shimmy down this rope and get the Moonstone," Bonnie exclaimed, wasting no time to climb into the hole that ran deep and dark. "The longer we wait to get possession of this rock, the more we have to worry about running into Katherine and my mother. I don't want that." Stefan said nothing in response but instead nodded in head in understanding.

"Just be careful," he added.

"Wouldn't have it any other way," the witch said.

The actual depth to the well ran somewhere between 20 to 25 feet deep and spanning a huge enough width for at least three people to fit into. Though because nobody outside was able to even get close enough to help secure the rope that was tied around the outside of the well, Bonnie could only pray that the rope would not break as she made her way down. Lowering herself further down into the hole, the young girl finally started to feel some moisture hit her shoes. Without hesitation she let go of the rope dropped hard on the surface that was surrounded with water which was elevated about five feet. Entering into the water Bonnie looked up at the giant hole that would be twice as difficult to get through.

"I made it in the well!" she screamed out to everybody outside. " I'm looking for the Moonstone right now." Turning her attention to the dark water surrounding her, the emerald eyed beauty reached down with her hands, trying to feel for anything solid and round. The tips of her hair dipped in the water as her clothes were drenched instantly. She could barely feel the sharp rocks at the surface of the well slicing her fingertips which did not hurt tremendously.

"Bonnie…why are you bleeding?" Damon called out worriedly as the smell of the woman's blood reached the vampire's scent.

"It's nothing!" she called back, still searching for the Moonstone. The vampire was not entirely accepting of the answer given to him which prompted him to question even more.

"Are you sure Bonnie! You need to be careful…we have no way of helping you out if you get stuck in that damn well!"

"Yeah, I know!"

"So hurry up and find the Moonstone already!"

"That's the plan!"

"We can't afford to lose it at this point, Bonnie!"

"Well then stop distracting me!"

"Love you, too!"

The young witch took a moment to let the man's words sink in, unable to keep from chuckling at his sarcastic (yet truthful) response.

At that moment, something smooth made it's way past Bonnie's fingers. It was solid, round shaped and carried a sufficient amount of weight to it. Lifting it from the water, the Bennett witch looked to see that she had indeed grabbed possession of the vibrant white (yet somewhat transparent) Moonstone. Overwhelmed with excitement she couldn't help but jump up with excitement, splashing water all around her.

"I've got the stone!" she screamed out, placing the heavy stone in her pocket and steadily making her way back up to the top of the well. But it seemed climbing up the rope of the well seemed more of a challenge than lowering down from it. With her body mass increased by soaked clothes and shoes finding no firm support against the brick…Bonnie felt herself beginning to panic. "Guys, I can't climb the rope…the water is weighing me down and I keep slipping off the bricks."

"Hold on Bonnie, we'll get you out of there!" Mr. Bennett's voice boomed with urgency. Thus Bonnie stood as calmly as possible in the freezing water, waiting for anybody on higher ground to think up a way to get her up from the well. "Bonnie?" Mr. Bennett's voice called out to the young woman once more.

"Yes, dad?"

"Okay…have you tried climbing the rope again."

"Yes dad - my arms are tired, my fingers are bleeding and quite honestly I'm not built for this sort of stuff. Not to mention I'm starting to freak out a bit here." Bonnie looked round the well noticing how much darker it had become inside on account of the setting sun. Soon the sun would be completely void of any sunlight, and darkness would be her only ally.

"Alright, alright…now the first thing you want to do is not freak out, okay?" The female witch merely inhaled deeply and exhaled just as hard, hoping to ease her own nervousness. Even in the somewhat dark, Bonnie felt like she could see the bricks around her beginning to close in inch by inch. "Okay, Bonnie?" Mr. Bennett called out again.

"Yes, dad?"

"Okay…now are you familiar with levitation spells?" It was silent for a moment.

"…yeah."

"Good - I want you to use the knowledge you have on levitation and apply it to yourself."

"Wait - what?"

"Honey, we can't get any closer to the well to help you out of there. Now the only other option I see fit is if you used you powers to literally lift yourself from where you are." Bonnie gave a somewhat worried expression as she looked around the dark well, finding no other option but to obey the command given to her. Closing her eyes and focusing on her own energy and body, the Bennett witch began to mumble the incantation she would usually use against her enemies (e.g. Katherine, Mason). Though it was extremely uncomfortable, Bonnie did not anticipate her body to rapidly lift itself out of the well the way it did; shooting out of the hole with water splashing everywhere in site among the group outside. Thankfully Damon caught hold of the falling woman before she could crash on the brown ground below her. Helping her back on her feet again, Bonnie wasted no time in wrapping her arms around the man, shaking in fear.

"What was that?" Mr. Bennett asked dubiously. "I told you to use a levitation spell. That spell you used thrusted your body way too violently through that well…the fall could've killed you if nobody was here to catch you beforehand"

"Yet I did catch her," Damon reminded the man rather sternly. "So why don't you be grateful for that much?" Mr. Bennett was silent as he stared at the vampire with a look of complete disdain.

"Did you get the Moonstone?" Stefan asked with wide eyes, hoping to put an end to all the drama. Bonnie, having Damon relieve her eyes of the wet strains of hair in her face by parting them to the side, reached into her pocket and pulled out the giant stone.

"I got the Moonstone," Bonnie said between chattering teeth. The blistering wind mixed with her wet clothes did not make for a comforting temperature amongst her skin.

"Alright, lets just take this back to the mansion and get this all over with," Elena suggested.

"My thoughts exactly," Elena's voiced echoed in the background. Everybody stopped to stare at the young woman in confusion, not sure as to why she would respond to her own comment. But it didn't take long for them all to realize just who it was that really spoke the words aloud to the group. From the shadows, a curly haired, all-black wearing vampire emerged from the trees softly and silently among the fog with a red haired beauty with emerald eyes and caramel skin alongside her. Bonnie and Mr. Bennett looked on at the hooded woman longer than they looked at Katherine.

"Mom." Bonnie uttered out as she clutched Damon close to her, her body still shivering from the cold.

"Nicole?" Mr. Bennett uttered his wife's name aloud for the first time in years, making the insides his stomach turn and twist uncontrollably.

"Bonnie…Noah," Nicole responded back.

"I think you have something that belongs to us," Katherine said with a small smile. The five individuals stood there ground in front of the two dangerous women. The female vampire looked on at each respective couple after letting out a sarcastic cooing, especially after setting her sights on Stefan and Elena. Nicole on the other hand had her sights on Damon and Bonnie.

"I didn't want to believe it was you…but I should have known better," Noah said aloud to his ex-wife, giving a look of pure hatred. "You're not getting the Moonstone, Nikki."

"Silly Noah," the woman responded back with a smirk. "Even without the ability to fully harness your powers you still try so desperately to control every little thing I do." The older woman looked to her daughter next, tilting her head at the sight of Damon clutching her tightly. It was a sight that disgusted her so. "Damon Salvatore…I know someone who is desperately in need of killing you." The vampire looked on at the woman perplexed, not entirely sure if he had seen her before.

"Trying to psych me out is not going to work," Damon retorted back harshly, "So you either get out of our way and let us destroy this piece of rock…or I'll have to kill you and your hooded partner in crime. Regardless, I'm sure I'll result with the latter soon enough." At that moment Nicole narrowed her eyes and focused her offensive attack to the man who immediately fell to the ground in agonizing pain. The vampire soon grasped his head with his hands, screaming out in relentless pain with nothing but the frantic aid of Bonnie's covering his limp body.

"Stop it!" Bonnie screamed out at the woman. Nicole did not comply as she only increased the intensity of the pain in the vampire's head, causing his ears to begin bleeding from inside out. "Stop it, please!" The witch did not want to hurt her mother, however nor was she going to stand around crying while Damon screamed out in pain.

"What do you want?" Stefan hollered out at the red haired witch. Suddenly Nicole stopped using the infamous aneurism spell on Damon, forcing him to roll around on the ground in excruciating discomfort and pain.

"What I want is the Moonstone to fix a problem that I should have settled with years ago," Nicole responded back. "And I'm not leaving without it."

"Go to hell," Bonnie said through gritted teeth.

"Is that any way to speak to your mother?"

"You may have birthed me…but that does not make you my mother."

"Oh? Then what does it make me…an enemy?" Nicole took a step closer to the witch, prompting Stefan to stay on his guard should he have to attack.

"What happened to you?" Bonnie asked the woman, giving a look of disbelief. "You were never like this, not what I remember." The small smirk on Nicole's face slowly began to diminish as a more hurtful expression overlapped.

"I was never this way…not until that day your Grams decided that I should be punished for binding your father's powers. Since then I had no choice but to be the monster she made me into."

"…what did she do to you?"

"Practically turned me into a vampire is what she did." Everyone was silent as they stared at the woman in the thick darkness of the ever present night. "Your Grams was a clever thing, that woman. She always had a loophole for everything she did. Take the prospect of spell casting; who would have thought that with every spell I cast would drain me of my own life force ten times faster than any normal witch, increasing the chances of me dying." Noah was emotionless as he listened in on the woman's explanation. "I'm sure she figured I'd be dead by this point…but I have a couple of loopholes myself. Who knew that draining life from humans would be so easy yet so fun?"

"The dead bodies," Damon mustered aloud as he struggled to stand back up with Bonnie's assistance. "That's why they look the way they do - you drained them of their energy, of their life force. Like the corpse in the woods and that corpse by the well."

"You catch on quick, don't you?" The red head sneered. "Either way, with the Moonstone I can break this irritating curse off of me, even without the aid of a Bennett witch. Then, maybe if you all cooperate, I'll only kill Damon in the process."

"Don't forget our other deal," Katherine muttered aloud in which Nicole merely nodded her head.

"I'm surprised you didn't tell Nicole about your other deal, Katherine," Bonnie blurted out at the two women. The McCullough witch made a face as she went to look at Katherine who at that moment deliberately avoided making eye contact.

"What is she talking about, Kat?" Nicole asked.

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" Bonnie teased. "Apparently she and Mason were in cahoots with each other from the start, planning to take the Moonstone for themselves."

"That's a lie," Katherine urged rather forcefully.

"Is it?" The Bennett girl took a bold step forward. "I mean right before we killed Mason, he was all too willing to let us in on the location of the stone itself. Not to mention what we needed to do in order to obtain it."

"You don't know what you're talking about…Mason loves me unconditionally. He told me so himself yesterday."

"I thought you said you killed Mason days ago?" The old witch asked the curly haired vampire. "And what about Tyler…is he still roaming around?"

"Free as a dog," Damon chimed in which only caused Katherine's nostrils to flare in anger and her eyes to grow darker.

"I knew I should have tried harder to kill you Damon," Katherine said angrily. "Now we're all in danger."

The male vampire gave a confused looked before he saw Katherine being tossed to the side by an invisible force that Nicole conjured up. It wasn't long before the angered witch began to levitate off of the ground and stare down at the group below her.

"I've had enough play," she said in a shrill voice, the wind beginning to blow harder and more chill. "Give me the Moonstone and Bonnie…or all of you die where you stand."

"Elena, you and Mr. Bennett get out of here, now!" Stefan ordered the woman who was hesitant to move at all, but ultimately saw it best to comply with the demand. Stefan, Damon and Bonnie all stepped forward towards the levitated witch, ready to take her on. But from the corners of the woods, figures began to emerge from the darkness which caused Damon to smile amongst himself.

"It's about time," Damon said to a cautious looking Caroline who kept her eyes on the red haired witch.

"Sorry we're late," the blond vampire responded over the loud wind. "Alaric, Jeremy and I had to make sure that Tyler got on his bus safely without the possibility of Katherine interfering. Lucky for us she was here the whole time."

"Where is Jeremy?" Stefan asked.

"He's going to wait by the car with Elena and Mr. Bennett. Make sure their protected…don't worry, he's armed to the T."

"Then it's settled," Bonnie said aloud as she stood her ground with Damon, Stefan, Caroline, and Alaric - all in a straight line facing the red haired vampire.

"You're making a big mistake daughter," Nicole reminded the young witch, her hands beginning to glow a luminous orange color.

"I'm not your daughter anymore."

"You can't change the past, Bonnie!"

"But she can change the future," Damon interrupted, "and I will make sure that you're nowhere fucking in it..."

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**As you can all see, these chapters are getting longer and longer and longer...lol. But it's all been lead up to this. With the gang all together ready to take on Nicole, and Katherine knocked out cold, things could get pretty interesting. Lets see how this all turns out. Hope you all enjoyed this read of my longest post yet, peace :)**


	22. Climax  Damon's POV

**Hello all you wonderful people out there in Fanfiction-land. We have come down to the final three chapters of the story (this being one of them) and I have to say that this has really been a great experience writing this Bamon fic. It's given me a lot of inspiration to quite possibly work on my own stories and whatnot. Granted I don't plan for it to be publish any time ever, but the confidence is there now. I decided to do something different with these next two chapters both entitled, "Climax". This chapter presently before you will be in the point of view of Damon, will the other Climax chapter will be in the point of view of Bonnie. I thought since we were coming to a close, I might as well get the characters to speak for themselves during a very crucial moment in the story. Thank U all for being such wonderful people and helping me find a niche in writing. But enough about me...lets get on with the story. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 22 - Climax (Damon's P.O.V.)**

I looked up at the levitating witch with dark, black eyes. I was ready to attack the moment she so much as flinched her fingers away from her sides - I never missed a beat. Of course, the more I thought about it, the less likely it seemed to me that among the five of us (Alaric, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie and myself) I would be the first to attack the McCullough witch. Usually whenever I allowed for my killer instincts to kick in, I didn't have to stand and worry about protecting somebody or making sure that my assistant was well off without my aid beside them. Granted for most of the battles I fought for Elena were, if nothing else, easy to accomplish without having to turn around every second to see if she were in any immediate peril. Despite the fact that Elena was so consistent with wanting to help out and fight on the battlefield every time the opportunity aroused…I would simply discourage her and tell her "No" every time. And as usual the woman would obey.

But Bonnie?

Bonnie is a different breed altogether. Not only does she want to fight, she always makes it seem as if though she has no choice but to fight. Her place among the people in Mystic Falls (among our little ragtag group) is on the battlefield, and nothing anybody could say (including me) would stray her mind differently. Maybe that's what I love about the woman? The fact that she stands up for what she believes in and uses her powers for the better; not only for others, but herself as well. Sure the prospect of being a goody-goody is daunting at times, and the cliché of being destined for goodness is a prophecy I had since placed on the backburner centuries ago. But still, I see apart of myself - my human self - inside of the woman. The part of me I had successfully killed mere years after being transformed into a vampire. Yet this teenager, this Bennett witch, has found a way of giving me a piece of that life back. I'm not sure as to how it happened and to be quite honest I don't know if I still want any remnants of human behavior lurking inside of me after all this time. Though the times I do spend with Bonnie leaves me with little choice but to submit to the feelings every moment…making me a weaker vampire, but a stronger human.

It's fucking weird.

So I'm not just looking out for my own safety this time…I'm also looking out for Bonnie's. To say I would die for her is still a bit dramatic…then again a lot of the things I've done for the woman have been somewhat dramatic, not to mention life-threatening.

Humph…guess I would die for her, huh?

Stefan is the first of the five of us to make a move towards the witch, jumping up at her with a leap that would put most feline animals to shame. It looks as if though he is about to grab the woman by the waist and take her down from her elevated spot in the air, but with a single flick of her wrist Stefan is tossed to the side with no effort on the woman's part whatsoever. That's when I decide it's my turn to jump in and take a shot at it, considering I am bigger, faster, stronger, and all around better than Stefan is at being a vampire. Kind of ironic when I think about it. Me - the one who hated being a vampire the most - is somehow the poster child of what a true vampire is supposed to be. Either way, I use my supernatural speed to zigzag left and right in front of the floating witch who is trying to evade me by moving forth and flying all around the clearing, not keeping her eyes off of the Moonstone in Bonnie's hand. I can hear Caroline running behind me as well, possibly readying herself to attack the hag soon after I do. Somewhat surprised that the McCullough witch is able to keep ahead of my vampire speed, I find it a challenge to zone in on an effective attack.

The sound of Caroline's sprinting feet behind me suddenly come to a drastic halt followed by the thunderous sound of something hitting the ground. The noise prompts me to stop in my tracks and take a lot around to investigate the mysterious sound. It appears as if though Katherine is up and ready to fight as well, taking the blond haired vampire down violently while standing over her body and snarling. Caroline, more scared of Kat then she is at getting blood on her expensive clothes, cowers in fear as she prepares for a strike from the woman. I prepare myself to go to the aid of the young vampire, but the appearance of Alaric holding his crossbow only brought about a small smile to me. The sight of the man shooting the bitch vampire in the back with a wooden stake which caused her to scream out in agonizing pain was the most satisfying thing I had seen in the one hundred plus years I had been stuck on this ever-changing land. Of course, like many things in my screwed up life, the pleasure I harbor is short-lived as my brain suddenly starts to feel like it's about to burst into flames. My mouth gapes open followed by the raising of my hands to my head, the excruciating pain forcing me to fall to my knees and scream out bloody murder. Why is it that this is the one ability that witches seem to go to first? Seriously…they have the ability to set things on fire and talk to the dead and levitate and so on and so forth. Why is it when they want to protect themselves they go for fucking aneurisms? For fucks sake, it's not like I won't be able to heal in time to rip them a new asshole…that is if I do heal in time. The aneurism seems to go on forever and it makes it's hard not to notice the subtle feeling of blood vessels popping individually under my skull. As a matter of fact, the aneurism goes on for so long that my vision begins blurring and my screaming grows into more of a shriek while my ears bleed from inside out.

"And to think Katherine warned me to be weary of you," I hear the McCullough witch sneer over my limp body which is rolling around the grass face first near the well. My nose picks up on the smell of water from the atmosphere which tells me it's going to rain soon enough. "It's no wonder Bonnie is such a weak witch; A father who is powerless, an overconfident vampire she has taken a liking to, and a lack of knowledge of who she is. And here I am trying to give her so much more, and you fight me?" The woman lifts a leg and uses her high heel shoe to turn me over on my side so that I could see her face through my blurry peripheral vision. "Was it worth it? To die like this?"

I wanted to say something snaky like "Fuck you and your cheap shoes" or "The only one going to die is you, bitch". Sadly I was denied that right to be wholesome me because this woman proceeded to keep the aneurism active in my head. At that point I began to wonder just where the hell everybody was at? Caroline and Alaric were probably still handling Katherine, which was understandable. But what the hell happened to Stefan and Bonnie? I'm laying here getting my ass handed to me by this psycho witch and I've yet to gain any assistance.

The fuck?

Finally, almost as if though somebody was reading my mind, I see Bonnie rush in and tackle her mother down with her entire body. The aneurism immediately seizes and I can't help but to let out a huge gasp of air like I had been slammed straight in the gut by a ton of bricks (if that's what it feels like, I wouldn't know or remember). As much as it would have been nice to instantly get up and fight off the McCullough witch, I had to wait for my energy to completely return to me. I laid on the ground a couple more seconds before I feel the touch of a familiar hand. This time I don't swat it away.

"Damon, are you alright?" Stefan asks worriedly.

"Bonnie…" it's the only word I'm able to mutter out at the moment, "…where…?" I look ahead at the scene before me. The Moonstone is held tightly in Bonnie's hand as she stands her ground in front of her mother. It's a dramatic spectacle to behold, especially with the predicted rain beginning to fall upon the grassy plains we all stood on. The once present fog was now suddenly gone as the rain started to fall harder with each passing second by the well. Feeling my energy coming back to normal I make my way quick-fast by Bonnie's side and snarl in the presence of the McCullough witch.

"Think of the things we can accomplish together. The opportunities are endless, Bonnie!" the red haired woman said to her daughter. But Bonnie merely shook her head 'no' as strains of hair stuck to the sides of her face because of the falling moisture.

"You have the stain of innocent blood all over you…I can smell it."

"And that vampire beside you, he doesn't?" Bonnie was silent and I could have sworn that I could hear my stomach drop in the midst of the rain. I wanted to say something in defense to myself, but then the last thing I was going to appear as to these witches was a hypocrite.

"Don't use me as a scape goat," I warned the witch in front of Bonnie and myself, "I own up to what I've done." Bonnie takes a small step in front of me for she knows me well enough to see that I'm ready to rip this woman's head off at any given moment.

"And that justifies everything?" she asks. It's beginning to become clear (between Bonnie's mother and father, just why the young Bennett witch was so inquisitive and judgey).

"No - but it makes me more human than you'll ever be because I'm not afraid to admit it."

I saw the anger boiling inside of the witch, but only after I felt a tug on the back of my shirt which sent me flying back against the grass several feet away from Bonnie. To my surprise, I look up to see Katherine charging in on me like a wild swan with murderous tendencies.

"Damon!" To hear Bonnie calling my name out from the distance is enough to force me to try and stand. I try to get back up from the ground but am unable to because of the force kick to my ribs from Katherine that causes me to spin uncontrollably on my side in mid-air before landing hard on the ground a few meters away.

"Damon, Damon, Damon…why I put up with you for so long is beyond me." Katherine's words are precise and cut through the rain like a hot butter knife.

"What can I say?" I respond back as I stand on my feet once more, "I'm full of surprises."

"Full of shit is more like it."

"Beggars can't be choosers, sweet-cheeks." I sneer the sentence out, wanting her to realize that I was through with the back and forth between us. She must have gotten the memo because her expressions goes from amused to stoic.

"Do you realize just how easy it is for me to kill you?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

"Enlighten me."

"Alaric posed no threat, and Caroline…well, she's lucky Stefan told her to get out while she still could."

"And Stefan?" I watch her expression grow amused again, straight hair caused by the rain making her appear more and more like Elena (excluding the demeanor).

"I could never hurt Stefan…never will unless I truly have to. You on the other hand…"

"Save it," I say with retracted fangs. I've grown tired of hearing the same line over and over and over again. The bitch dies tonight. "Even if it kills me, you will die."

"Oh, it'll kill you alright," Katherine says before rushing towards me at neck breaking speeds. It takes me a minute to realize just how much stronger Katherine is, but I've learned how to maneuver around a lot of her attacks. The one thing about the woman that has always been an advantage for me…she's predictable. I see her hand thrust forward towards my chest where my heart is which prompt me to quickly move before the attack can fully be executed. Side stepping, I take an arm and swing it towards Kat's face, forcing her to stagger back in surprise at my punch. I go in for the kill as I open my mouth wide open and aim it for the woman's jugular, but again I underestimate the woman's speed. She quickly rebounds against my small assault and goes to wrap her hand around my throat…the tightening feeling of her hand around my throat reminded me of the feeling of being breathless. The rain hit against my face hard which made it all the more difficult to see Katherine's face in front of mine.

"Time to go back to hell, Damon," Katherine said before slowly lifting her hand to the sky, preparing to repeat the act of snatching my heart out. But before the evil vamp could completely demolish me, something was happening to her. Something amazing. From the corner of my eyes I could see Noah Bennett walking onto the wet battlefield with his hands spread out on either side of him, they both glowed a luminous orange color that seemed to make the rain dissipate into steam when it hit against it. Suddenly a earth shattering scream came from Katherine who let go of my throat and immediately through her hands to her head. With emotions of both anger and pain inflicted upon the vampire's face, I staggered back and grabbed a hold of my throat as I watched the conniving doppelganger fall to the floor, twitching and kicking in immense pain. Taking a moment to relish in the scene which played before me, it didn't take long for my interest to focus again on Bonnie's whereabouts. I turn my head from one direction to the next, hoping to see the woman.

"Damon!" It's Stefan's voice yelling for me. I turn to see him holding what appears to be an unconscious Bonnie, eyes closed and body limp. "She's burning up…I don't know want's going on." I waste not time in getting beside my brother and taking Bonnie into my soaking arms. I look down at her, my eyes growing heavy and my unbeaten heart somehow feeling as if though it were breaking in two. I press my ear against the witch's chest…but no sound to indicate a beat on the inside. This appeared to be worse than the last time she passed out.

No - she can't be dead. I woldn't allow it.

"Don't you fucking die on me now, Bennett," I sneered in between gritted teeth, looking down at her with my jaw clenched hard.

"YOU CANT DO THIS!" A scream on the side of me showed a levitated Nicole Bennett floating in the air, but from the looks of it, it appeared she wasn't in control. No, Mr. Bennett had his hand positioned forward at the woman. It didn't take long for me to realize that the male Bennett had regained his powers again, and he was promptly using them against the witch. "You have no right, Noah! You have no right!"

"You had no right to come back and threaten our daughter's life!" Noah screamed back at his ex-lover. The witch was silent as her body traveled slowly over the opening of the well.

"I'm trying to protect her."

"I'll protect her." I found myself scoffing at Bennett's remark.

"How?" Nicole asked. "You think because you've got your powers back that everything will be roses now? You've always been more cocky than your worth."

"And you've always been looking for somebody with more power. Somebody you can control." I can see from the distance that the woman is now smirking.

"Who said I didn't find somebody more powerful than the almighty Noah Bennett?" The man was silent. "You can destroy the Moonstone…but it'll take you ages to find the other relics. And when they do…they'll destroy everything and everyone."

"Who are they?" Mr. Bennett asked with a tilt of his head. But the woman said nothing. "I don't believe you. You've lied before and it broke up our family. I'm not falling for your lies again. Not this time." At that moment the man closed his eyes and began to uttered what sounded like some form of Latin. The red haired witch looked worried as she foolishly tried to fight against the invisible restraints that were keeping her afloat above the well. But before I could call out to the man and tell him to hurry up and kill the bitch, Mr. Bennett had already dropped Nicole into the well below. I looked on a bit surprised that the man had such a mean-streak in him (not to mention creative). But what really got my attention was when the man turned to look at me. I instantly remembered what the man said earlier in the car; about him gaining his abilities to keep me in check (so to speak). I'm not entirely sure as to why, but I have a knot in my throat that I swallow hard as Noah steps right in front of me, his eyes dead serious and his hands still glowing that luminous orange color.

"How is she?" is the first thing that comes out of his mouth. I don't have to look down at Bonnie to give him an answer.

"I don't know."

I watch as he places his hands on his daughter before quickly pulling back with eyes furrowed and his lips perched into a straight line.

"She's still alive, thank goodness. But she's very weak - you need to get her in some cold water…she's burning up." I want to let out a huge sigh of relief at the man's words. But I hold it in. No need to express to Mr. Bennett just how much Bonnie really means to me…not now.

"I figured as much," is my response. I start to make my way out of the clearing when I find myself having to turn around and look over at the well that Noah placed his ex in…I wonder to myself. "Why isn't she screaming? But most importantly, where's the Moonstone?"

"I used the Moonstone's power to put a cloud over the well; one that will silence any noise that comes from within it while casting an illusion."

"What kind of illusion?"

"The kind that will make it seem as if though nobody is in there." I look on at the man as I hold Bonnie tightly. "As far as the Moonstone is concerned…I've got that under control."

"And Katherine?"

"My mother always told me that there's no better vampire than a dead one." I find myself furrowing a bit at the statement, clenching my jaw even more. "But the vampire knows stuff, and it won't be too hard to bargain with her for information. Until then I think a tomb is in order."

"She'll only lie, y'know? You think she's on your side when, BAM! Knife in your back."

"You worry about getting my daughter in some cold water and I'll worry about Katherine."

I say nothing. I already feel stupid for wasting so much time asking questions when I should have made way towards home and got Bonnie in a tub full of cold water. I clutch her close to me as I make like hell towards the mansion.

My only concern at that moment is Bonnie.

Nothing else.

No one else.

Just her.

I make my way through the rain across the concrete streets towards home. I use my feet to open and close the front door before I hurriedly make my way upstairs to the bathroom where I start up a cold tub of water. I constantly switch between glances of both the rising tub of water and Bonnie. Why did she always have to be the damn hero? If any trait I liked least about the woman its her nobility. I'm not one to try and stick my neck out for any ol' body, but leave it to her to feel a twinge of emotions towards the man who lied to her about her true purpose in life and the relationship he had with her mother. Than again…I guess it's her nobility that makes her also accepting. She accepted me when she had every reason not to. Sure she tried to fight against it and no doubt was trying to sabotage the relationship before it even began…but she kept on for some reason. She saw something, I guess, good in me. She taught me what true love really was.

I notice the tub is filled completely so I waste no time in setting the woman down within it. Her scorching body literally sizzles once it hit's the water below her, steam rolling up from the tube like boiling water is present. I look on in amazement, wondering why this is so. I'm half tempted to ask Noah Bennett myself, but I think for my own benefit I better stay away from him. He's even more stubborn than his daughter so it's clear that his acceptance of me will not come easily, if at all. Pacing in front of the tub and looking down at the woman, I find myself running my fingers through my hair frequently - an act I only do when I'm really stressing out. God - this girl has actually got me stressing out over her. I want to blame it on some magic spell or something…but even I can't deny the gist of it all.

I love the woman.

I want to see that she's alright.

Suddenly without warning, Bonnie begins to frantically wail around in the tub like she did the last time. I immediately grab hold of her out of control arms and place them sternly beside herself so that she doesn't hurt herself…or me. I try to calm her down and stop her from screaming at the top of her lungs. When she finally does she gazes around the room aimlessly. She has a dazed and confused look upon her face which prompts me to lean in closer to her and see if she wasn't still out of it.

"Bonnie," I start to call to the woman even though she is right in front of me. I can't help but notice the trance like expression upon her face. "That's right. Just calm down, and look at me. Everything will be fine, just look at me Bonnie. It's me…Damon." Instantly the girl's eyes shift over to me and I find myself surprisingly startled a bit. I always want instant gratification but am still shocked when it's presented to me. "Bonnie." I say the woman's name aloud and hold my head down low, thanking the heavens above that she didn't bump her head and forget all about me. That would really suck.

"W-where, is e-e-everybody?" the girl asks with chattering teeth. I can't help but give her a dubiously look, chuckling at her notion to keep everybody's well-being in mind except her own. And then suddenly, it went from being utterly annoying to just plain cute. I waste not time in lifting the woman out of the tub and holding her close to my warm clothes. I was pretty sure my body's temperature would just add more cold to her but it was better than leaving her in the middle of the bathroom holding herself. I reach over to the towel rack to grab one of my towels and drape it around Bonnie's body tightly. She presses herself against my chest with her hands, shivering uncontrollably. I hear her quickened heartbeat begin to slow down to a more steady pace which is a relief to my ears.

"For once will you think about your own well-being before worrying about everybody else?" I ask with an arched eyebrow, leading the both of us out of the bathroom and into my bedroom. "Regardless, everybody is fine…nothing but a couple of bumps and bruises and maybe some shattered egos." I set her on top of my king sized bed that is covered with black silk sheets. I kneel down to her eye level as I rapidly begin to rub her arms up and down with my hands, trying to warm her up the best way I knew how.

"Thank you," Bonnie says to me weakly. I merely scoff to myself as I continue to rub her arms.

"No, thank you," I respond.

"Why _my_ thank you?"

"Because I get to live to see another day." My words have obviously confused the already dreary woman. I really didn't want to go into detail about the whole thing, but knowing Bonnie, she'll just ask questions until I lose my mind. "Your mother standing on top of me…about to do another one of those witchy ju-ju things which could have proven fatal."

"All I remember doing was tackling her down." Bonnie's voice is nonchalant. "Not exactly sure that's merit for me saving your life."

"For most people, maybe…but you're not most people Bonnie. You're special." I can feel the mushy, unwanted human emotions starting to build up inside of me. No - I don't want that. I try to smile as to cover up the emotion that is irritatingly trying to break through in me. I won't allow it…I can't. Not even for Bonnie. I can't help but raise a hand upon the woman's soft cheek, her caramel skin giving off a slight rosy color that made her appear to faintly glow a beautiful luminous shade. Upon lifting her own hand upon mine, I continue to speak, "I thought I had lost you…like…lost you." For some reason, saying the words out loud were painful for me. Just the simple thought of Bonnie being out of my life completely…I couldn't fathom it. Then I felt my eyes grow heavier as the vision in front of me became a bit hazy.

No!

I couldn't let her get to me like this. I won't allow for her to break me. I am a vampire…vampires don't have emotions. And the minute we show signs of them, we turn them off. Sure I love the woman, and she claims to love me as well. But even this is becoming more serious than I had anticipated. More…human that I was prepared to admit. I was comfortable with the fact that a witch and a vampire could mend well together and love one another. But to take that same love and that same affection and apply true human emotions on top of it…that was scary. That meant that the feelings I had for Elena and Katherine were a waste of time. It meant that all the shit I put Bonnie through was a product of my own unhappiness and selfishness, and it would make it that much harder for me to forget the loyalty she still presented to me. It would mean that our love isn't supernatural and I wouldn't be the tough bad boy with a killer smile, and she wouldn't be the hot-headed witch with powerful abilities…we would be normal. Something I haven't been for a long, long time.

"Just let it out, Damon," Bonnie urges me. For fuck's sake, she really wants to see me cry, doesn't she? She wants me to tap into that human side of myself and manifest what I really feel for her in the form of true emotions.

"Don't," I say solemnly. "Don't try to force human emotions out of me. They haven't been present in a very long time, and I don't want them present now."

"But you want my true feelings to be expressed?" I can't help but grow quiet, my expression becoming much more hard.

"That's not fair."

"What's not fair, is that you want me to give my all to you…but you refuse to show just an ounce of emotion to me; A gesture that's goes way beyond just kissing and hugging…but something from the heart."

"I don't have a heart, Bonnie." I sneer viciously at the woman in the hopes that she would drop the subject in fear of upsetting me. But it's my hand that is still placed softly against the witch's cheek that diminishes any threat my words may have harbored.

"Well then something is seriously wrong here," she responds with emerald eyes that look almost as misty as mine feel, "because I made a connection with somebody who had a heart strong enough to love me - even when I was judgmental and bitchy, and so many other nasty things to him. I didn't have to change who I was to be with him. And the best part? He somehow turned my crazy hate for him into something unexplainable and improbable. And none of that could have been achieved without somebody with a heart."

Her words touch me in a way that I never imagined. They make me feel something inside…something special. I want to turn off my emotions quickly before the human side of me surfaces but I'm too late. I feel those fucking tears rolling down my cheeks and I see that I have fallen prey to the human emotions that I've fought so hard against for centuries. I knew at that moment that I was in trouble. That everything I thought I knew about life was going to completely turn on its head.

"Why do you do this me?" I ask in a tone that no longer wants to fight against Bonnie's advances. The woman laughs at my remark and I keep my head held down. "Why do you fuck with me every chance you get?"

"Because I love you," Bonnie says with more than enough confidence to fill my bedroom. I look to her in shock. The way she said those three words didn't sound forced or an attempt of pleasing me with them; She reluctantly admitted to giving love a chance between the two of us the first time around. The second time she actually uttered the words, but not without it sounding like she was going to stake me soon after. This time felt real. It felt like she had come to an ultimate decision about us and that involved her professing her love to me. It felt good to be loved. And not because I tricked her into saying it or I used my ability of persuasion - it was because we both knew the truth about each other now. A truth that could only be shared between the two of us.

I can't seem to get this stupid ass grin off my face. Examining the woman, I start to once again take notice of her gorgeous body; The way the light in the room bounces off her brown skin to create such a magnificent aura around her. Her curves mimic the perfect hourglass figure while her face is surrounded by moisture from the tub. Her long black hair sticks to her neck…her beautiful, delicious looking neck. The neck is accompanied by trails of water that seem to travel down towards her enticing breasts. The smile on my face is quickly replaced with a look of wanting and passion. I need her. Right there…right now.

I literally pounce on top of the Bennett witch, forcing her mouth to move in synch with mine. I can taste her tongue the minute it makes contact with mine, and my hands are gripping the bed like a caged animal. Bonnie begins to seductively crawl further back onto my bed, though I refuse to let our mouths lose contact with each other so I crawl directly in front of her, my tongue going nowhere. I hover myself on top of the woman's body with my arms raised on either side of her. I can't take the teasing and the waiting any longer. I immediately start to trail my mouth from her mouth to her neck, kissing at the warmth that lays underneath her sweet skin. She makes my mouth water in delight while at the same time turning me on. All this foreplay with the sensual woman is going to make me climax prematurely (which by the way I have never been a victim of). I open my mouth and softly graze my teeth across her skin…oh…the feel of her skin touching me is so intoxicating. She's a hard drug to overcome, I can tell already.

Then the moaning starts and it really starts to excite me even more. I can feel Bonnie's delicate fingers trailing up my chest before they start to pull for my t-shirt. She takes too long for my liking, so I go ahead and pull away from the kiss so that I can take my shirt off myself, bringing it over my head and tossing it to the side. I look down at her as she examines me. I can't help but smile when I go back in for another kiss. I go to grab a hold of her leg while rubbing it up and down roughly. Usually I'd be having sex by this time…but this foreplay business was not all that bad either. I tickle the woman's stomach with my fingertips before I slowly start to make my way up towards her breasts. Bonnie quickly jolts under me and I snatch my hand away, wondering if I had done something wrong or if something bad had happened?

But the young witch merely shakes her head and utters softly, "No - don't stop." I don't argue. I follow through with trailing my fingers across the woman's stomach up to her breasts where I message them ever so gently. From below I can feel Bonnie beginning to undue my belt buckle followed by my pants buttons and zipper.

Using my supernatural strength, I rip off the woman's shirt only to be treated to the body of a curvaceous brown body that was almost too sweet to look at. After I'm finished demolishing Bonnie's jeans as well, I stand straight up on my bed and begin pulling off my pants, taking notice of the beautiful angel that is now laying below me in nothing but panties and bra. Her voluptuous figure is crying out for me as it shifts on top of my king sized bed covered with black silk sheets. Her hair is spread out over my pillow, blending in with the black sheets below her. Those pearly white teeth flash in my direction, and I can't believe that I've waited so long to see what a beautiful specimen Bonnie really is. With nothing on but my boxers I go in to lay over Bonnie with my anticipating body. I pull the sheets over us and prepare to give her the best of all of me.

"You sure you want to do this?" I ask the woman before I decide to take things to that final step. This was something I never really did anymore, not since the days I lived on the plantation with my brother and father. A gentleman always asked a woman if she was ready, not set his own personal feelings ahead of hers. Granted I haven't practiced such traditions as of late with the many woman I would bring home with me over the centuries…but Bonnie deserved better. She deserved to be treated like the lady she was and not some quick, sleazy lay. When Bonnie nodded her head "yes" I merely smiled as I started to straddle out of my boxers from under the sheets. I then use one hand to slowly drag off Bonnie's undergarments from her lower body. With us both naked (well with me completely naked…she still had on a bra) under silk sheets after fending off a psychotic witch and even crazier vampire…I could honestly say that nothing got me hotter than the sight that was before me now.

I got in to make my move when a sudden shriek from Bonnie nearly makes me jump from the bed, "Wait!" What about protection?"

"Seriously?" I ask with an arched eyebrow. I can see that Bonnie is starting to consider safety in the matter, and I guess I can't really fault her for it. How can you not notice the amounts of unprotected sex this generation has with one another. I should know…I lived through the eighties. Luckily for me, the last girl I was with had left a box of condoms I thought I'd never use. So reaching over towards my dresser and pulling open the top drawer, I grab a condom from within the box. I tear the wrapper open with my teeth and then flimsy around under the covers to slide it on properly. When all is said and done, I look down at Bonnie and give a slight chuckle.

"Better?" I ask with a smirk. She simply nods which to me gives the okay for the first contact. I slowly, as supernaturally possible, inch into Bonnie gently. I haven't even delivered a complete stroke of pleasure yet before the woman starts to gasp and make faces of discomfort. I pull away from Bonnie in fear I may be hurting the woman. However I must admit, it is flattering to be reminded just how intense my manhood could be to another woman. "You alright?" I ask worried, but still unable to wipe the smile of flattery upon my face.

"Yeah," Bonnie responds before letting out a small chuckle. I chuckle as well before leaning down to give the woman a passionate kiss on the lips. "Just keep going." The woman's orders are met with a wider smile before I try again to fully immerse myself within the Bennett witch. I don't want to rush the moment, thus I make several steady attempts until Bonnie is confident that she is content with what I have to offer.

"It's okay…just relax, I won't hurt you." I assure the woman. Of course I'm only speaking as far as my own control is controlled…couldn't really speak for the equipment I was currently carrying under my belt.

It seemed that we were finally getting the flow of things as I came to realize that Bonnie was no longer tense underneath my naked body. She allowed for me to take full control of her delicate self when I decided to increase the rhythm of my movements, feeling the deep dig of nails raking against my back. I feel like I'm repeating the same movements over and over again for at least an hour, but I don't grow tired or weary. It's our first time anyway…we have plenty of time to explore where we stand in the sex department.

From time to time Bonnie would have to stop our activity to find her comfort again, but it never broke away from the flow of the contact we were making with one another. Eventually the woman stopped halting my advances and took my lovemaking in stride. I dug my face into her shoulder as every moan that the witch let out only helped me to determine just how much faster I should be gyrating against her wet body.

More time passed and I could tell that the woman was ready to hit her climax, made evident by her immense shaking and heavy uneven breathing.

"You ready?" I ask with my face still plastered to her shoulder while my body dug deeper inside of her beautiful body.

A faint, "…yes," is the only response I get. I smile to myself confident that I haven't disappointed the Bennett witch. It's clear by the feeling I'm experiencing that Bonnie is trying to keep from letting the inevitable happen. She doesn't want to have an orgasm in front of me, but we've already come this far into the act without leaving empty handed. If we were going to see this thing through then we had to work together on it.

"Don't hold back, baby." I coo in her ear before a passionate growl rumbles from within my chest, out of my mouth. I feel myself moan louder and my body growing more primal while in control over the woman. Against my better judgment, I allow for my vampire features to showcase in the middle of our lovemaking. I lift my head up to face the woman before noticing at the last minute that I was looking down at her with the face of a monster. Shocked, I was prepared to stop and jump off of her at the first sign of fear…but no fear was present. Bonnie didn't look at me with disgust or anger or even a hit of surprise. No - it was like she was looking past the monstrous features and seeing me instead. The human facade that I put everyday of my eternal life; the face that most associate with evil and conniving. A face she was in love with.

When Bonnie is reaching up and gently touching the exposed veins around my eyes, I'm surprised at how quickly I regain control of my primal nature and resort back to the human mask I wear. Not once did I make this all about myself and worry only about my pleasure, or fantasize about another woman while I was making love to her, or feel the urge to feed from that enticing neck of hers. I just wanted to make love to her.

_To _love her.

And I did.

And if feels great.

I quicken my stride, forcing small yelps to escape from the woman. I myself can help but let out deep moans of pleasure as our speed with each other is hitting overload. Suddenly it hits me…right after Bonnie grabs hold of my jet black hair and releases a huge yell during her orgasm, I find myself groaning loudly before arching my back over the woman and shaking uncontrollably. We bask for a minute in the moment without moving so much as a muscle, taking in each other's ecstasy underneath the silk sheets. Soon I let out a small chuckle in between my heavy breathing, slowly leaning down to kiss my woman upon her lips. She kisses me back before wrapping her arms around my wet body that is now apart of me. But then I'm suddenly reminded that I've just slept with the daughter of a father who not only hates vampires but is determined to kill me at any given moment.

…and yet, I can't wait for Thanksgiving at the Bennett house.

* * *

**Yes, they do the do. I can't tell you how hard it was to write a somewhat classy love scene (mostly cause I wanted to leave something to the imagination) but I did what I could, lol. Anyway, keep in mind that the second Climax chapter will be in the point of view of Bonnie. Same scenario, different voice telling the story. Thnk for reading. Peace :)**


	23. Climax  Bonnie's POV

**So here is Bonnie's telling of the Climax of the story in the appropriately titled, Climax. Not a lot of things change except for the narration of the story. Some people prefer Damon to Bonnie, and vice-versa. Some people love the both of them...so I figured, why not cater to all of those people? lol So again, thank you all for your amazing comments and support of this story. I am honored to have RIACW apart of the Bamon community. **

**Chapter 23 - Climax (Bonnie's P.O.V.)**

It's hard for me to think that this woman flying above with her hoddie flowing in the wind, her hair accented by her skin complexion, is my mother. This isn't what I remembered from the her. This isn't the same person who would wake me up every morning with kisses and hugs that could last me a lifetime. What happened to her? Why was she doing this, to her daughter no less? In fact the more I think about it, the harder it is for me to come to grips in attacking her. I mean, granted this isn't the same woman I thought she was…but did that constitute for me having to fight her? Or even worse…kill her? I guess I could count on Damon doing something of that nature, but would I even allow for him to? I've always been fickle when it came to my emotions and I'm afraid that same logic will apply here and now. God, what I wouldn't give to have Damon's power to turn off emotions.

Then again…

He sure didn't mind leaving them on when I came into the picture. It still baffles me how I, a simple teenage girl, could fall head over heels for a guy I literally tried to kill numerous times in the future. A man with a bad rep as long as both of his two arms put together. A man who may or may not still be in love with my best friend, Elena Gilbert. If anything its like I'm asking for trouble from this guy. Yet - I love him. Sure it's a strong word to use and considering the short amount of time that we've spent together, it only seems natural that our type of love is doom to failure. But for some reason I do what's completely wrong for me in favor of love. Does that make me crazy? Probably. But I can't deny the feelings that have for him…this vampire. I know Damon's a troubled soul, and maybe that's what I'm drawn to? Perhaps I feel compelled to allow him the human aspects of life that were snatch away from him? If anybody can see the faults I have, its Damon. And if anybody can see the good inside of Damon, it's me.

He puts on a front that he doesn't care and he only considers himself some ruthless vampire. But I was fortunate enough to see the intimate side of him…the side he keeps hidden away from society. In reality he's just like me - trying to find his way in a crazy world that expects everything from you. The more I think about it, the more I come to figure that my love for the man runs deeper than I anticipated. He may not be everything I wanted in a man, but he's everything I need in a vampire. And I'm grateful to him no matter what.

I see Stefan make his way towards my mother, catching me by surprise. Stefan always seemed to me like the type of individual who would instead be on the defensive side of a fight, not offensive. Surely there were moments when Elena was involved where his attacks came unsurprisingly, but I guess I just assumed the man would be one of the few of us here in a straight line less likely to take a swing at my mother. He get close to her…very close to taking my mother down from the high altitude to which she floats in the mid-air. But a simple telepathic spell was enough for my mother to launch the youngest Salvatore brother violently to the side, his entire body appearing as if though it would shatter on impact once it hit the ground. Despite knowing that a simple toss to the side would take much more to completely kill (or at least hurt) a vampire such as Stefan Salvatore, I couldn't help but gasp at the scene. Not sure what to do next, I turn my head back at the Grimoire I left by the well, wasting no time in sprinting in that general direction. I can feel my mother's presence suddenly behind me as a louder, more definite sound of rushing air is escalating behind. I am couple feet away from the book when I suddenly find myself being thrusted to the side in the same fashion as Stefan. My body hit's the ground hard, the side of my arm sore and in immense pain. I cradle it soothingly before snapping back to reality and forcing myself up on my feet. Looking from left to right, I make sure the cost is clear from my mother as I try once more to reach for the Grimoire. The fact that I'm here engaging in a battle in a windy, foggy, dark graveyard is more than enough for me to handle.

Is this why my father kept from telling me the truth?

Is this the lifestyle that he was afraid of exposing me to?

Can I really be mad at him now, knowing that he must've gone through the same exact thing as I when he was a teenager?

I suddenly feel sick, my stomach turning and twisting uncomfortably. I don't know if I want to continue on with this any longer…this fighting. This mayhem and chaos that is well beyond my control. A control I need if I'm going to continue forth with my sanity intact. Its bad enough that I have taken a liking to a vampire that, not even a month ago, was destroying the very essence of my life. But now I'm battling my long-lost, estranged mother who is a witch like me and is trying to kill everybody I love in favor of gaining control of an ancient relic. This sort of stuff doesn't happen. It's not normal…none of it is. But who am I to complain? Nothing has been normal for me for some time now, yet I still try to hold onto a past that I know will never come back. A time in my life that was more or less a testament to how boring I was living it. Yet - I long for it. I want it. I need it. But it's not coming back.

I don't expect it to - not while I'm this far in supernatural drama.

I pick up the Grimoire that is situated right in front of me, my hands shaking uncontrollably as I flip through the rigged pages within it's casing. I look for a spell. Any spell that will somehow incapacitate both Katherine and my mother. I hate having to say that aloud in my head…but it's the truth. Lately I've been denying the truth every chance I get, and all its done is hurt me more. Facing facts and executing what's needed to be done is the only reprieve I have left in this life I now lead. I continue to flip through the pages and look for a spell when I notice small watermarks beginning to appear on the hard pages inside. Great, just what I need in the midst of the already creepy setting I was trapped in…rain. Flipping more hurriedly now I stop at a page that is explaining the process of unbinding black magic from a witch. Immediately my father jumps in my head and I can't help but scan the words that are scattered in front of me. Most of the Latin I can comprehend, while other words presented make me aware of just how powerful (not to mention dangerous) this spell is. I decide to stop wasting time and look for the page I intended to find in the first place. Finally coming to the page and about to engrave the incantation in my mind, I hear a loud screeching sound from the side of me.

There on the ground is Damon. My Damon - rolling around on the floor with his ears bleeding and his body looking like it was going to explode. My mother approaches him rather swiftly before placing her foot on top of him like he were a piece of trash or something. I forget that the Grimoire is in my hands which prompts me to drop it almost instantly as I rush forth towards my mom. The unexplainable strength and uncompromised speed is proof to me that no matter how vicious a vampire, or how magical a witch…adrenaline is able to make even the simplest human in the word do crazy things. And as I tackle my mother to the ground with a force that could knock back most of the boys on my high school's football team, I knew at that minute that I was willing to do some crazy shit for Damon. Things that would only be understandable by mister Salvatore himself.

Rain begins to fall overhead as I scramble from on top of my mother and struggle to get up from the grass. I have to move my hair away from my eyes for the moisture in the rain sticks strains of hair in my line of sight. My mother is obviously using levitation to get back up on her feet, her movements appearing too fluid even for a witch to pull off.

"You disappoint me, Bonnie," my mother says with a mellow tone.

"Likewise," I respond.

"You look at me and you see a monster, I get it. But there are reasons why I do the things I do…the lengths I must take to survive." I'm quiet as I look at her cautiously. "Your father is a great dad, but a terrible husband. What his mother did to me was unjust, and all I'm trying to do is fix the problem."

"Maybe if you were a good wife, this wouldn't have happened. Why would you take away his powers, take away his birthright?"

"Because he was a witch before he was a husband!" She shrieked. "And he needed to pay the best way I knew how. Take away apart of him. The part of him that he loved more than me." I stand there watching my mother, finding it strange that I somehow sympathize with her. Surely the path she has taken is dark and wrong, but she was left with no other choice. No other options.

I know the feeling.

"We don't have to be enemies, Bon." her voice is soothing now. I look down for a split second only to be surprised by the appearance of Damon standing beside me. Relief is more evident than it was a split-second ago. "Think of the things we can accomplish together. The opportunities are endless, Bonnie!" I look at my mother and quickly consider it, but undoubtedly go against her offer. Despite the fact I can understand her plight…I can not condone her actions.

"You have the stain of innocent blood all over you…I can smell it." I say, shaking my head 'no' in the process.

"And that vampire beside you, he doesn't?" Silence befalls upon me as I slightly shift my eyes in Damon's direction. Again - she makes another valid point, but it's not enough to sway me in her corner.

"Don't use me as an scape goat," Damon's warning to my mother gives me chills and forces me to take a step in front of him, "I own up to what I've done."

"And that justifies everything?" she asks.

"No - but it makes me more human than you'll ever be because I'm not afraid to admit it."

The comment Damon shares with the woman leaves a look of anger upon her face. I stand there looking at that face, realizing that the features upon it are the same as mine. The eyes, the mouth, the lips, the nose…it's like I'm looking into an aging mirror that depicts me thirty years from now. I immediately wonder how that might affect the relationship I currently have with Damon? Maybe Elena is having the same thought running through her own mind, unless she and Stefan had already talked about the possibility of her becoming a vampire. That's just too much to take in all at once.

Suddenly a strong gust of wind makes it way past me, and I turn to see that Damon is no longer behind me, but several feet away from me on the ground. My first reaction is to scream which I do. My second reaction is to go to his aid, but the grip that instantly wraps itself around my wrist forces me to stop in my steps. I pull hard from my mother's grip who is fight with me to gain control of the Moonstone.

"Damon!"

There is nothing more I can do. I don't want to do it…but I'm left with no choice. Mumbling an incantation aloud, I hold on to the Moonstone in my hands and feel an overwhelming power begin to surge from within me. My mother is frantic with getting the Moonstone away from me, but I'm not letting go of it…not until I finish the incantation. The Latin that spills out of my mouth is jumbled together and carried with a tone of uncertainty. Whether the spell works or not will be beyond my control. After uttering the last word, my mother lets go of my wrist and takes several steps away from me…a look of shock upon her face.

"Why would you do that?" she asked, her head immediately turning from left and right in fear. I, on the other hand, feel weak and notice drops of blood dripping from my nose. I stagger upon myself. My vision is blurred and my body feels like it's on fire. I know this feeling all too well. It was the feeling I got when I used that complicated spell against Katherine. It's a feeling I dreaded ever feeling again…but it is present. My eyes close and my body drops upon the wet grass below me. The blunt force of the ground is fast, almost unnoticeable.

There is now darkness.

It's everywhere around me.

I can't determine its mass because there is nothing solid in front of me or under me or anywhere around me.

Just…darkness.

I was here the last time I passed out. Surrounded by darkness but yet and still somehow conscious of it all. Must be death…or some form of purgatory. My father was never a very religious man. He figures once somebody dies that's it. No afterlife, no reincarnation…just death. And maybe that's much easier to accept than to look at life as a starting block for something more. But its hard for me to look at life in such a shallow way, like all I've done thus far has been a product of circumstance. How can I believe in the supernatural but not believe in miracles? How can I believe in right and wrong without connecting it with good and evil? I believe there's a higher power - but what does that mean for me? Where do I stand when all is said and done? Will I be greeted with horns and a parade for my achievements…or will my failure drag me into this darkness?

That's when I see it…a bright white light that suddenly appears out of nowhere. The light is reminiscent to that of a movie screen because there are moving images in motion across it:

_I can see myself suddenly standing by a black Chevy outside the Mystic Grill parking lot; I look no different than I normally do. I'm with a man who is smiling joyously. He has black hair, blue eyes, and a smile that can make every woman swoon in unison across the globe. Its Damon - and he's holding me in his arms, looking at me with those expressive eyes of his that I have grown to love. There is somebody else by the car with us…it's Tyler. He's nearby the car with an expression that is less than joyous. The smile upon his face is too forced - too constricted. All seems well (if you ignore the solemn Tyler) until the bright sunny day outside suddenly grows dark and begins to roar with a might thunder. Lightning begins to strike the ground and patrons all around run in horror. Tyler, Damon and myself stay calm as we turn our attention towards the woods near the back - we notice a group of hooded figures making their way towards us. They walk, almost glide, in our direction but none of us looks the least bit worried. We stand our ground as the group approaches closer and closer, until one is directly in front of me. The inside of their hoodie is pitch black, but I'm still able to make out a grinning mouth that is filled with razor shape teeth. The scene is frightening to say the least, and the sight of the mouth opening up wide and going for my throat makes me scream out loud…_

Another flash of light suddenly emerges from in front of me, and I feel my body go in a panic. My body is now freezing cold and muffled sounds are beginning to surround me. If I weren't mistaken, I'd say it were the sound of water splashing and somebody calling out my name frantically. I hadn't realized at that moment, but the entire scenario screamed familiar to me. I open my eyes for what feels like the second time, and come face to face with the blurry man before me.

"…Calm down….me….fine….Damon…"

I had only comprehended the name presented thoroughly. The feel of strong hands holding my arms by my side as water splashes all over me instantly reminds me as to why this entire scenario is familiar. This is a bathtub and I'm in it once again. I turn to the image of a furrowed browed vampire, his face showing the most expression I've seen yet.

"Bonnie." He says my name and makes my hearing instantly better. I can't help but look down at myself in the water filled tub that was freezing. My teeth chatter as water drips into my eyes and causes me to rub at them weakly.

"W-where, is e-e-everybody?" I ask in a stutter. I'm surprised at the chuckle that escapes the lips of the Salvatore man, his expression softening a bit as he reaches into the tub and takes a hold of me. The strength that the vampire possesses makes it easy for him to stand me up from the tub and hop out without chance of injury. I hold myself against the man's (ironically) warmer body as he wraps one of his embroiled towels around me. The act of resting my head against his hard chest as I clutch my chest is almost second nature by now. Clearly its one of the only ways I'm able to feel against those definitive muscles of his which seem to be fairly noticeable. To be honest, I think he notices to, he just wants to gloat about it in silence.

"For once will you think about your own well-being before worrying about everybody else?" Damon asks with an arched eyebrow, leading me out of the bathroom and into his bedroom. "Regardless, everybody is fine…nothing but a couple of bumps and bruises and maybe some shattered egos." He sits me down on his massive bed and begins to rapidly rub my arms up and down which instantly warms me up. I'm glad he kneels down to my eye level because I can't speak to him with my head staring up all. He pulls off my shoes and socks and tosses them on the side. I can see he is already without footwear because his massive feet make themselves present upon the ground.

"Thank you," I say surprisingly more shy than I had intended. Strange.

"No, thank you," Damon responds back.

"Why _my_ thank you?"

"Because I get to live to see another day." I give a confused expression. Surely I missed a lot during the battle and my memory was a bit hazy…but I wasn't so sure I saved Damon. The vampire merely perched his lips as he lets out a slight sigh, obviously not wanting to retell what had happened. "Your mother standing on top of me…about to do another one of those witchy ju-ju things which could have proven fatal."

"All I remember doing was tackling her down," I answer honestly. "Not exactly sure that's merit for me saving your life."

"For most people, maybe…but you're not most people Bonnie. You're special." I can't help but lift my eyes and once again lose myself in the sea of blue iris'. A conflicted smile is planted upon Damon's face as he raises his hand to mine, lightly stroking my cheeks. I lift my own hand and place it gently upon his. "I thought I had lost you…like…lost you." The vampire's voice takes on a tone I haven't heard since the drunken confession he gave to me a few days prior - pain. His eyes grow watery but I can see he's fighting with himself to keep from crying. Despite everything that has happened, he still refuses to truly open up to me. But I won't allow.

I can't.

"Just let it out, Damon," I urge him. He merely shakes his head 'no'.

"Don't," he says solemnly. "Don't try to force human emotions out of me. They haven't been present in a very long time, and I don't want them present now."

"But you want my true feelings to be expressed?" The man grows quiet though his expression becomes much more hard.

"That's not fair."

"What's not fair, is that you want me to give my all to you…but you refuse to show just an ounce of emotion to me; A gesture that's goes way beyond just kissing and hugging…but something from the heart."

"I don't have a heart, Bonnie." He sneers rather viciously, though his hand is still placed softly against my cheek. I realize it's an attempt to change the subject, but I play along anyway, just not to his liking.

"Well then something is seriously wrong here," I say with my eyes growing misty, "because I made a connection with somebody who had a heart strong enough to love me - even when I was judgmental and bitchy, and so many other nasty things to him. I didn't have to change who I was to be with him. And the best part? He somehow turned my crazy hate for him into something unexplainable and improbable. And none of that could have been achieved without somebody with a heart."

Damon's eyes begin to shake. They grow red but not because he is angry…but because he is beginning to cry.

"Why do you do this me?" he asks in what can only be described as a defeated and upsetting tone. I can't help but chuckle at the vampire's unwillingness to let his emotions show, using my thumbs to wipe away at the tears from his cheeks. "Why do you fuck with me every chance you get?"

"Because I love you," I say to him more confidently than I have ever said it, even more so than when I blurted it out in the bathroom earlier. Damon must have noticed my tone considering the look he gives me is one of pure shock. I smile at him softly while I stroke my thumb against his chiseled face.

The jet black haired man merely shakes his head and tries his hardest to hide the smile that is playing across his smooth, vanilla skin. His lips are slightly parted and are begging to be kissed. The scent of the man gives off more than a scent of expensive cologne, but its the heightened pheromone levels in him that draw me closer. My eyes begin to trail down from his face to his neck, then to his chest and then to his black leather belt strap. Lifting my eyes once more, I stare at the attractive vampire for idle seconds before he rushes in to kiss me hard on the lips. The force of his kiss nearly knocks the air out of me although it's a welcomed gesture. I drop the towel that is draped across my back and lift my hands around his neck.

Damon and I kiss like wild animals, our tongues working together in what can only be described as a choreographed dance. I crawl backwards upon the headboard of the silk sheeted bed while Damon never once looses contact with my lips as he follows suite. Even with my eyes completely shut, I can feel the vampire's body hovering over me, just barely touching my soaked body upon his bed. Without time to take immediate notice, the man's lips are beginning to trail down from my mouth to my neck where his teeth gently graze against my wet skin. It's both frightening and exhilarating. My gasps are starting to sound like moans while my hands find there way to the man's hard chest.

Whether or not it's desire or desperation that prompts me to do it, but I can't help but pull away at the shirt that is tucked sloppily under his jeans. Damon must have taken notice because without a second thought he pulls away from the kiss and starts to pull his shirt over his head. I'm instantly amazed at the definitive muscles that stretch with his body as he reaches for the sky, taking off his shirt. The act alone makes my heart beat faster and my body quiver even more. Tossing his shirt to the side of the bed, Damon wastes no time in indulging once again with another kiss before his hands begin to travel up and down my leg.

Hands are exploring the softness of the vampire's back as I allow for him to take control of my aching body. I tell myself that this whole act is stupid…that engaging in this sort of affair could only lead to disaster in the long run. But I quickly come to the conclusion that I don't care. I am his…and he is mine.

And we belong to one another.

Damon's hands quickly find their way to my stomach where he rubs against my skin softly before trailing his fingers up to my breast. Okay…now I gasp out in fear this time. Not because I'm scared or anything, but because it has been such a long time since somebody had touched me the way Damon did. I admit to foolishly loosing my virginity at a young age, and still regret it to this day. And just maybe I'm making another mistake with Damon on this bed…but at the moment I don't care. I'm not going to concern myself with the outside world for these next few hours. I'm going to once not be so concerned with trying to be the voice of reason or the moral compass to everybody else's decisions. I'm just going to be Bonnie Bennett; sassy teenager with a heart of gold, lots of friends and a hot boyfriend.

Damon must've taken notice of my sudden movement because he pulls away from my chest, but I let out a cool, "No - don't stop." It doesn't take long for the man to obey my orders as his fingers are once again trailing from under my shirt all over my breasts. I rub my leg on the side of his torso, as I reach down for his pants and hurriedly start to undue that black leather buckle. When I accomplish that I undue the buttons that keep the pants together before moving towards the zipper which I pull down. The vampire wastes no time in undressing me, though his methods are less than…well…romantic. He rips off my shirt which immediately exposes my bare stomach and bra. Then he moves down and starts yanking down on my tight, soaked jeans which are easily ripped to shreds like wet paper. I watch as he stands on his bed to remove his black jeans, the image before me most definitely having to be that of God's image. There was no way that something so dark could look so beautiful. From the six pack abs to the V-line shape of his waist that barely covered what was hiding under his boxers…I couldn't help but take in the extremely attractive man before me. I lay on the bed as Damon goes and lays over me, pulling his silk sheets over us both.

"You sure you want to do this?" he asks before continuing further . I say nothing as I'm still a bit nervous, but I nod my head "yes" as its obvious I want this as much as he does. He merely nods back in response as I see him moving under the covers and taking off his boxers. Then it's no sooner that his own hands are starting to feel their way on me…slowly starting to pull off the panties that I still had on. I straggle a bit to make it easier for the man to pull them off. Now where' both completely naked (well, he is - I still have on my bra).

"Wait!" I scream out. He looks a bit worried. "What about protection?"

"Seriously?" he asked with an arched eyebrow. I give a somewhat conflicted look. Sure he's a vampire and all, but it's no secret that the man has slept around quite a bit. It seemed stupid yeah, but I wasn't going to apologize for trying to keep myself as safe as possible. Regardless, I see the man reaching over towards his dresser, puling out the top drawer and grabbing a condom from within a box. Naturally it comes as no surprise that he probably has a lifetime supply, but it makes me feel better that I'm treating this moment with my mind still in tact. We may be supernatural…but I don't think I can handle little vampire-witch babies running around.

At least…not now, maybe.

I see him tear the wrapper open with his teeth and then struggle around under the covers as he puts it on. When he's all finished, he looks down at me and chuckles a bit.

"Better?" he asks with a smirk. I simply nod. Then I feel him starting to make his way inside of me. I gasp a bit in pain, having to turn my head to hide the expression of discomfort upon my face. Damon pulls away. "You alright?" he asks concerned but not without that cocky smile on his face.

"Yeah," I respond, not able to hold back the chuckle that is building from within me. The vampire also chuckles with me before leaning down to kiss me again. "Just keep going."

Damon obeys and tries once…twice…three times more before he is completely apart of me. I let out a moan mixed with both pain and ecstasy.

"It's okay…just relax, I won't hurt you." His words are reassuring, but there not met without doubt. It's obvious that our first time together will probably be the slowest ever recorded in the history of mankind…but it didn't matter to me. I want this connection with the man and I wanted to experience it with him the most intimate way possible. I was the black cat and he was a black raven. I was the witch and he was that vampire. I was a delicate rose and he was an isolated concrete world.

But we were both lovers.

Our bodies meshed so well together as Damon proceeded to intensify the rhythm of his strokes. I clawed at his back with fingernails that brought out a growl from the man's chest. He planted his face into my shoulder where I could feel the uneven heat of his breath against me. We must have been in the position for what felt like eternity; his body on top of mine. Granted I was the only one who was beginning to perspire more, but I could tell that the more excited Damon got, the faster we were moving. From time to time I'd have to tell him to slow down or stop completely, but it never seemed to make our moment together uneven or prolonged for the wrong reasons.

I had my eyes closed and mouth gaped open as the feel of Damon inside of me literally left me in awe. I could hardly muster out a moan let alone try to talk dirty (which was something I could never really get in to anyway). Then I felt myself reaching that peak of intimacy that I failed to feel with the first guy I lost my virginity to. No, this feeling started to make my body shake uncontrollably and the only breathing I could do was between gritted teeth.

"You ready?" Damon's voice rings in my ear and it makes me shiver even more. The way he speaks against my skin brings this overwhelming feeling of yearning. I can barely speak as I'm spread across the bed under the vampire.

"…yes."

In essence I probably shouldn't have said that, because it meant that once I had reached my climax he would soon follow suite. Damon suddenly began to thrust harder and breathe even louder, forcing me to moan out in small yelps. I can't help it…this feels too good.

"Don't hold back, baby." he demands before letting out a growl. He lifts his face up to look down at me. His eyes are pitch black and there are veins around his face. His fangs are now present and the vampire that had tried to kill me so many times in the past has come to look me in the face during a very intimate moment. But I'm not scared. I don't flinch, I don't gasp, I do nothing but enjoy my moment with Damon. I bring a hand to his face and almost like magic, its back to it's original self.

Then it hits me…the climax. I grab a handful of the man's black hair and let out a long moan that could probably be heard throughout the house. It isn't long before Damon himself lets out a moan before arching his back and shaking uncontrollably on top of me. We bask for a minute in the moment without moving so much as a muscle, taking it each other's ecstasy underneath the silk sheets. Soon Damon lets out a small chuckle in between his heavy breathing, slowly leaning down to kiss me on the lips. I kiss him back as I wrap my arms around his wet body that now is apart of me. I'm suddenly reminded of when Elena told me of she and Stefan's first time having sex.

…I kind of feel sorry for her now.

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**1 MORE CHAPTER, GUYS! Yes, this story is at it's ending. Time to send this off to the sea of other Bamon fanfics, lol. I hope you all enjoyed my story thus far and I can't express enough how wonderful you've all been during the process of this story. Oh, and I wanna say that describing Bonnie on a silk sheeted bed was kinda hot for me to write! xD lol peace :)**


	24. Choice

**Well this is it everyone...the FINAL CHAPTER. I have to say thank you to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU who inspired me to write this story. Your comments, your excitement, your love for this Fanfic has been overwhelming (to say the least). Nothing could have prepared me to face the onslaught of Bamon lovers who accepted RIACW with open arms. In fact, the confidence I garnered from writing this Fanfic has lead me to write a personal Novel I had set aside for years because I didn't think I was a seasoned enough writer to do it. Don't get me wrong, I'm farrrrrrr from an expert and I have no intention whatsoever to release my novel to the public. But to the confidence in writing again...that's more than I could ever ask for, and I owe it all to you readers out there. And just remember...anything is possible. Nothing is too grand or too small to achieve. But before I get all preachy on you lot, enjoy this FINAL CHAPTER of RIACW. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 24 - Choice**

Damon Salvatore's bedroom was silent as the rising sun outside made itself present behind the perspiring window. A faint glowing color touched everything within the room, including the sleeping bodies of Bonnie and Damon under the sheets in each other's arms. The night before was intense for the couple, but it definitely put a new spin on the relationship they were trying to form with one another. Taking into account that they had everything going against them, they've fallen in love much quicker than any normal couple, and have tried to kill each other countless of times…it seemed almost out of character for either the vampire and the witch to take things to an intimate level. Yet they did. And after coming to the conclusion that normality was hardly an option for them both, it only made sense to start doing what came to them naturally…or rather…supernaturally.

Emerald eyes crept into view under the caramel lids of one Bonnie Bennett. Opening her mouth wide to release a loud yawn, the young witch adjusted her head which was placed on top of the hard chest of Damon Salvatore. The feel of the man's arm around her petite body made her feel more secure than she had in a very long time. It made her smile - made her feel like she never had to be scared of anything or anyone again. Bonnie noticed that her hand was draped over Damon's torso that was still as a board. Thus she raised her hand to the man's chest and softly began to trail her soft fingers across his vanilla skin. Damon adjusted accordingly before lifting a hand of his own and grabbing hold of the witch's wrist.

"That's tickles," the man said lowly, his eyelids still shut. Bonnie merely smiled as she started to adjust the way in which Damon held onto her wrist, instead forcing the two of them to interlock fingers with one another. After a while the man opened his eyes and the woman found herself once more swimming in his ocean blue irises. "Morning."

"Morning." Bonnie's voice was always groggy in the morning and was further proof that in spite all of the human traits she wanted to keep around, her "morning after" voice that sounded like a chain-smoker on her last breath was the trait that remained. The chiseled faced vampire took notice and immediately began to chuckled under the touch of the young beauty, leaning his head down to kiss her gently on the forehead before setting his head back down on his pillow. He trailed his eyes over his ceiling before deciding to strike up a conversation.

"How are you doing?" The man asked, wanting to get unwanted questions out of the way before he moved on any further in the day. Bonnie shifted on Damon with a slight shrug of her shoulders, lifting an eyebrow and trying to decipher just how she was feeling at that moment.

"Honestly?" she looked up at the vampire for confirmation to which he responded with a simple nod. "Less than 24 hours ago I gave my controlling father his supernatural powers back, I fought my long-lost mother who teamed up with Katherine, and I had sex with a vampire that I tried to kill a few weeks ago. I'd say that I have officially started my life as a crazy person."

"Welcome to the club," Damon responded with a scoff. Immediately, Bonnie lifted her hand and clutched it under the man's chin, forcing him to look down at her once more.

"But I don't regret one moment that has brought me right here…right now." The Bennett witch's words were serious and her eyes even more-so.

"And I don't regret anything either. Even if it meant getting my ass burnt to a crisp a hundred times over…I'd do it to just to have this moment with you." Bonnie snapped her head back as she looked the man up and down.

"Mr. Salvatore, that was probably the sweetest thing you've said to me to date."

"Don't get use to it," the vampire said jokingly. Bonnie merely pulled her hand away and punched Damon on the chest as hard as she could. They both smiled at one another, glad that they weren't going to become one of those irritatingly happy couples that also had some disgustingly cheesy one-liner to throw at one another; Both Damon and Bonnie were content with trading witty insults back and forth from time to time, and they didn't need to be under each other all hours of the day as a means to showing how they felt for one another. As long as they both knew what the other felt, they didn't need anything else. "Speaking of which," Damon continued to speak, "sorry about your clothes last night. Didn't know things were going to get so intense so fast." The man quickly lifted the covers that both he and Bonnie were lying under, smirking at the naked physique of the brown witch. "But I guess good things do come to those who wait."

"I guess they do," Bonnie responded. "But I think you better send me home so I can get in some clothes and freshen up."

Damon chuckled aloud before removing himself from Bonnie and making way out of bed, "No can do." He sat naked on the edge of the bed, kneeling down to pick up his black silk night pants while pulling them on one leg at a time. "Though the smart thing for me to do would be to send the daughter of a very powerful wizard back home - I don't think it's wise to send you back home in an oversized t-shirt and sweat pants worn by yours truly." Bonnie sat up from the bed with the sheets wrapped around her body. She ran a hand through her messy hair as she watched Damon go through his dresser drawers, pulling out an oversized black dress shirt and black sweat pants. He tossed them to the woman who managed to catch both articles of clothing without dropping the sheet wrapped around her. "So until we can get Elena to bring you some extra clothes from her closet…you're my prisoner." The young woman merely rolled her eyes as she watched Damon make way into his bathroom.

She quickly threw on the black dress shirt (leaving the three top buttons unbuttoned), and slipped on the black sweats. Hopping out of bed and scratching her long black hair out from her eyes, Bonnie took a moment to admire the vampire's quaint little room. It was very modern, to say the least. Nothing flashy. Nothing too extreme. Just simple…and black. In fact, everything seemed to be in black.

"My God, Damon…I know people say black makes you look slimmer, but you must have a serious weight complex." Damon merely let out a hearty scoff at the comment. The young witch slowly inched closer and closer to the window that allowed for the sun to shine through, it's orange color becoming much brighter in intensity. Bonnie leaned herself against the window and looked outside at the view before her - the leafless trees and shallow plains before her only proved just what kind of darkness hid under the sun in quiet Mystic Falls. A darkness that could easily be overlooked as something slightly unusual, when in fact it was dangerously supernaturally. The young witch slid her fingers across the freezing window that left visible streak marks.

She couldn't help but try to piece together so many of the unanswered questions that were going on in her mind. Despite the fact that she and her friends now had possession of the Moonstone, there was still the question as to why it was even needed by Katherine if she was going to use it against her mother who needed to break the spell on her? What ever happened to the second hooded individual that was present with her mother constantly? Was Tyler going to be alright on his own now that he had to live with what had happened with his mother? Was the vision she had when she passed out some form of supernatural hallucination…or a glimpse into the future?

So many question…not enough answers.

Hands slid their way around Bonnie's waist which caused her to momentarily jolt forward in surprise, but luckily the vampire's grip was enough to keep her feet planted.

"So jumpy in the morning," Damon whispered softly, pressing his bared chest against Bonnie's back. The young woman pulled the man's arms closer to her, not wanting him to let go as they both looked out the window at the rising sun.

"You know, this changes everything," Bonnie whispered softly. The perch lipped vampire just placed his chin on the woman's head playfully. "I can only imagine what everybody is saying about us right now."

"Let them talk. Don't worry about it…you think too much."

"I can't help it…that's all I would do when I would come home from school. Dad was hardly home and when Elena was getting serious with Stefan, I really had nobody else to communicate with. Sure there was Caroline, but at the time she wasn't somebody I'd go out of my way to hang out with. But I guess I can't shift the blame at everybody and not include myself. I had a choice to either accept what was happening or detach myself as far away as possible…I chose to detach." They were both quiet as the crows cawed louder with each passing second outside on the roof. It was nice for Bonnie to be able to release all her frustrations at somebody who wasn't trying to sway her in a direction that she wasn't necessarily ready to tread. She loved Elena to death - but sometimes her friend had a habit of trying to fix problems that didn't necessarily need fixing. Sometimes life's imperfections were needed to keep the Earth spinning…and Bonnie could learn to live with such a philosophy.

"So what was it? Y'know, that brought you around to accepting all the crazy shit that had been happening?" Damon asked. Bonnie had to take a second to reflect on the question. She knew the answer, but she was afraid that if she had revealed it in front of Damon, it would make for an awkward exchange.

"Honestly?"

"Again, yes."

"A philosophy my Grams use to tell me." Bonnie could immediately feel Damon's body go completely still. "She use to say: 'You can look to the past and to the future for answers all you want, but if you ignore your present self then you're missing out on the opportunity for a fresh start'." It was quiet for a moment as the two stood by the window, holding on to each other and letting the words sink into the room gradually.

"I'm sorry." The vampire sounded like he had to force the words out of his mouth. Bonnie already knew the man was trying to apologize for being the cause to her grandmother's death.

"Just…forget it."

"I can't," Damon responded lowly, "I should have never put you and your grandmother through all of that madness. Its my fault she's dead…it's my fault all of this has happened." Bonnie had to pull herself out of Damon's hold so that she could turn around and face him with pacifying green eyes, but he had his eyes steady on the image outside the window, "You should have just left me in that tomb."

The young witch narrowed her eyes as she placed a hand on the man's face, trying to force him to look at her directly, "Why would you say that?" She continued to adjust his face even more until he broke down and stared her straight in the eyes. "Why are trying to persecute yourself for, huh? I already forgave you for something that was partially my fault too. If you really want to make up for what happened to Grams…just take heed of her words." Damon tried to turn his head away, but Bonnie would not allow for him to shift away from her. "Don't worry about what you did yesterday, or what may happen tomorrow as a cause of it. Pay attention to the now; focus on us."

Damon was quiet. He didn't want to bring down the mood, but he had to say what he was feeling and it wasn't necessarily easy for him to do. So many years the man had turned off emotions to the world and all of it's problems yet with Bonnie he had to face them all head on. And to be completely honest, it wasn't a pleasant thing for him to do. Surely the easier thing for him to do would be to "turn off" his emotions all together and not focus on his part with the death of Sheila Bennett. But he couldn't. The emerald eyed Bennett witch had a way of making it hard for him to tap into that off switch…reminding him of the bad in which he did (especially to her).

"I just don't want you feeling somewhere down the road that all of this was for nothing…and then you think it necessary on leaving me." Damon's words were serious and his expression was as well. "I haven't…loved…in such a long time; I haven't been able to express emotions other than anger to any one individual. I thought with Elena I could but," the vampire lifts a pale hand to the witch's chin, "I was unwilling to change who I was for her. But with you…I feel like I don't have to change to make you happy." The woman's eyes were almost worrisome as she stared at Damon, not entirely sure where he was going with his speech. "But that person who killed Sheila…who killed your Grams…he's still present. And I have it under good authority that he's not going anywhere for a very ,very long time. I just have to make sure that's not going to be a problem for you."

Bonnie was speechless.

It was a bit disappointing to be honest. She had always dreamed of being "that girl" who had the ability to change an edgy, bad-boy into a overwhelming body of redemption and love. But it didn't take long for her to realize that those ideals were a bunch of bullshit. Why should she change something that she had already grown accustomed to? Damon was no Stefan when she met him - the good guy, lovey-dovey, perfect gentleman wasn't what attracted Bonnie to the Salvatore vampire. No, she fell in love with both Damon and his imperfections;

His goods and his bads.

His best moments and his worst moments.

His human side and his non-human side.

Sure there were a couple things he did that Bonnie did not approve on, especially when it involved an innocent. But she knew there was always a solution to problems like that which could easily be fixed. She was in love with Damon Salvatore…and nothing he was going to say or do would change that. Obviously she couldn't be too sure on the duo's future as a couple, but she was confident that if they continued on the path they've been treading so far…they'd alright. They didn't need to be a perfect couple.

Happiness was enough…it was always just enough.

Wrapping her arms around the broad body of Damon, Bonnie spoke softly and assuring, "After last night…there's nobody in the world I'd rather be with than you." Bonnie stood on her tippy-toes to give the sullen vampire a kiss on the lips. Damon pressed harder into the kiss, allowing for his mouth to fully devour hers. His hands began to wrap around the Bennett witch while her hands started to squeeze the pecs upon the man's bare chest.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

A knock on Damon's bedroom door was heard which ceased any chance the couple may have had at sex that morning. That really pissed off the vampire. Both the witch and the vampire pulled away from each other slowly, letting out a sigh of disappointment.

"Who is it?" Damon growled out at the intruder on the opposing side of the door. The door knob slowly began to turn and the door opened slightly to reveal Stefan peaking inside. Immediately the man regretted having disturbed the couple as his eyes shifted towards the ground, embarrassed at Bonnie's wardrobe and Damon with nothing on but silk pants.

Stefan tried in his most polite manner to make up for his intrusion but couldn't wipe away the smile on his face, "Um…I'm sorry to disrupt you guys…"

"Well you're a bit late for that, now aren't you, little brother?" Damon gave one of his famous sarcastic smiles as he let go of Bonnie to stroll across his bedroom towards Stefan. "What do you want?" he asked once he was by the door.

"I just got done talking with Sheriff Forbes on the phone. She wanted to speak with you, but I told her you were asleep. She didn't really waste time to start asking me questions on whether or not I had seen Tyler or Ms. Lockwoods since yesterday." Bonnie's stepped up closer out of curiosity, not wanting to miss any important details that may be said by Stefan. "I basically told her that Elena and I, you and Bonnie played hooky and ditched up to the Gilbert cabin by the lake."

"Is that the story we're sticking to?" Damon asked with curious eyes. "I mean, telling a Sheriff that an alleged twenty year old took his younger brother and a couple of high school girls up to a cabin?"

"It's the only story that makes sense. Granted Elena and I were at school most of the day so we have teachers that can vouch for us being there during Tyler's disappearance and Mrs. Lockwood's death. You and Bonnie however need to come up with something that places you somewhere other than the Lockwood home during that time, especially you Damon."

"We can say that Damon came to pick me up from my home where talked with my for while." Bonnie spoke up now, making her way beside the eldest Salvatore and crossing her arms over her chest, "Then we'll just say that we met Stefan and Elena up at the cabin. That could explain my absence and place us somewhere that's miles away from the Lockwood mansion." Stefan and Damon looked at one another. It was a legitimate story and it could work well if they just remembered verbatim what they needed to say should any of them be questioned: Elena and Stefan were at school before ditching to meet up with Damon and Bonnie at the Gilbert cabin.

"What about your father?" Damon asked with narrow eyes. "Is he going to be so willing to play along with our little plan?"

"I nearly died to give him his powers back…the least he could do is tell a little white lie to ensure everybody's safety."

"Sounds like a plan," Stefan uttered allowed before stepping back from the door, "I guess I'll just leave you two alone now…"

"Wait, before you go, give Elena a call and tell her to bring some extra clothes for Bonnie." The Bennett witch felt herself blush at Damon's blunt way of asking. It would surely be something she'd have to grow accustomed to.

"S-Sure," Stefan muttered allowed as he backed away from his brother's room, somewhat disturbed at the prospect of Bonnie and Damon having sex with one another. Once Stefan had left the room and shut the door behind him, the blue eyed Salvatore turned his attention back to Bonnie and smiled, placing his hands on the slender cut of his hips.

"I guess we better take a shower than, huh?" Damon said, his toothy grin calling for the brown skinned woman to move closer to him.

"Is that an invitation?" she asked with seductive a tone to her voice.

"Only if you want it to be," he responded back. Moving in closer as well, the vampire kissed the young witch gently on the lips before leading the both of them to the shower.

It didn't take long for the couple to make up their minds about taking a shower together, instead opting to take a hot warm bath. In between holding each other naked under the bubble filled tub, Damon and Bonnie talked what felt like hours upon hours about different things. Some moments they didn't even talk at all…they just held each other in the warm water, allowing for the rolling steam from their bodies to surround them in the bathroom like a sauna. Just in time for the couple to be done with their bath, Stefan returned home with Elena who had brought with her a couple articles of clothing for Bonnie. After the emerald eyed witch and the blue eyed vampire finished drying off, Damon quickly got dressed and went downstairs to retrieve the young Bennett's clothes for the day. Bonnie wasted no time in throwing them on once the man brought them to her, and she also wasted no time in rushing downstairs to meet up with her best friend. The two embraced like two long-lost sister. Bonnie was glad that she and her friend were able to discuss the whole Damon situation like adults and not result to such catty-like behavior. If there was one thing Bonnie was not a fan of, it was fighting another girl for some guy. Of course with Damon and her being official now…and how she was so willing to give up her principles for the man before…who knew what she'd result to just to keep her relationship long-lasting.

After all was said and done, Bonnie had come to the realization that her father was probably at home waiting on her to return. As much as she didn't want to deal with his nagging, she also knew it would be wrong on her part to keep him guessing on her well being. She did pass out during an intense battle the night before…she'd just go and check up on him and catch some shuteye. Bonnie then asked Stefan if he could drop her off at home, still worried that her father would try to do something to harm Damon at first glance. Though Damon was determined to take his girlfriend instead, it was soon decided that the younger Salvatore was better fitted for the job for safety reasons. So grabbing her keys and purse that were left behind the early evening before the battle, Bonnie rod in Stefan's car with both Stefan and Elena in the front seats of the car. The ride to the Bennett home was quiet, and rightly so. The relationship Bonnie and Damon formed was still new (and somewhat odd) to everybody else. So it seemed that saying nothing about the relationship was the best route to go.

Once Stefan's car rolled up to the curb of Bonnie's home, the caramel witch said her goodbyes and hopped out to make way to the porch steps up to the front door. Before she had a chance to reach into her purse and grab hold of her house keys, the giant door swung open and Noah Bennett was standing on the opposite side with a relieved look on his face. He stared down at his daughter without saying a word, not sure what words to utter first. He really wanted to get on her about letting Damon take her to his place…but he stayed quiet.

"I felt you coming," Noah stated as he opened the door wider to let Bonnie enter. The young woman walked in through the door with a perplexed look on her face, not exactly sure what her father was referring to. Seeing the confusion on her face, the male Bennett opted to explain once he shut the door shut, "Your aura…it gives off this feeling whenever your in the midst of a family member."

"I thought it only did that when I was in the presence of someone powerful?" Bonnie said, thinking about that same feeling when she was in the woods with Stefan and Damon. She thought that she only got that feeling when she was in the presence of an individual she had never met before? Noah merely shook his head 'no'.

"That Grimoire explains a lot of things…but not everything is relevant in today's time." He responded, nodding his head to a chair where he sat the Grimoire the night before.

Bonnie couldn't help but chuckle to herself, feeling stupid that she didn't realize that the feeling she felt in the woods was that of her mother's aura. All that searching and investigating…so obvious. So such a waste of her time.

"Wow," she said flatly.

"Yeah, I know." Noah turned his head towards the window and narrowed his eyes. "Where's your car?" Bonnie had to stop and consider that answer for a second before letting out a loud laugh which brought on a look of concern on her father's face.

"I have no idea…but if it's where I think it is, then I'm going to have an interesting story to tell at dinner tonight." The Bennett wizard nodded his head though he gave a worrisome look. He wasn't sure he wanted to hear that story anytime soon. So instead of saying anything, the man just nodded rather slowly almost hesitantly. "Also, on the subjects of stories…my friends and I really need your help with aiding Damon and I with an alibi." The man's face went immediately stoic. Bonnie challenged her father's expression with one of warning.

"Dad…I know that look and you're taking it the completely wrong way; this isn't for me…this is for Tyler. If ever should Sheriff Forbes or anyone from the council you know of comes to question you about the disappearance of Tyler or Ms. Lockwood, just tell them that Damon and I were here for like an hour…that's it. If we risk having Damon a suspect of any kind, then Tyler will have more to worry about than becoming a werewolf."

"Alright, Bonnie…fine. If it'll help take a load off of Tyler, then I'll help you and…Damon." Bonnie gave a small smile and nodded her head slightly.

"Thanks Dad," she said before turning to head upstairs. "Yeah…well, I'm tired. I think I'm going to go to bed and lay down for a moment before…"

"Bonnie wait," Noah started as he watched his daughter stop in her tracks on the stairs. "Thank you for giving me my powers back. I know it took a lot out of you and the risks were high…but it doesn't go unappreciated. You don't know what this means for me…for us as a family." Family; that was a word Bonnie rarely heard anymore, and it was a word she rarely used in coalition with her father.

"You're my dad," Bonnie responded as she looked down from the stairs she was on, "and nothing you say or do is going to change that. I just…I just wish you would trust me more, that's all." Noah Bennett nodded his head in understanding, knowing that his daughter had the capability to do what most out of control teenagers did…but she had yet to give him a reason not to trust her judgment (except for the fact she had fallen in love with a vampire).

"I do trust you…it's just…I know that there are people out there like Katherine and your mother who only want to use you for your powers. Just look at all the things that have happened in the past 24 hours as a result of that. It's not you that I don't trust, Babygirl…it's the people out there that's just like those two. If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have spent most of the night fixing your broken door so that you can close it and have your privacy."

Bonnie was silent and motionless as she stood in the middle of the stairway. Taking one step after another to the bottom, she went in to grab hold of her father and squeezed tightly. Noah mimicked his daughters gesture and squeezed just as hard. Neither cared that he was substantially much stronger than her, because the more pain that came from the hug was proof how much the two really cared for one another. Sure, the two would probably fall into another argument once the day settled in and news of Nicole grew old…but that didn't take away from the love that the two harbored for one another.

As Bonnie pulled away, she looked up at her father with tear streaked cheeks. Noah wiped away at the tears with his massive thumbs.

"Before you go to bed," Noah said taking a couple steps back and going for a black and red bag on top of the oak stand near the living room, "This was waiting for you by the door this morning." The black and red bag was familiar to Bonnie, being almost identical to the Sephora's bags she would carry her makeup home in when she'd go out of town with Elena and Caroline.

Though Noah's voice was calm and collective, Bonnie couldn't help but notice the change of expression on the man's face as he looked down at the present. The young Bennett witch looked down at the name tag which explained everything perfectly.

The tag read: "To: Bonnie, From: Damon".

Yeah…that explained everything.

"Thank you," Bonnie said, suddenly unable to look her father in the face again.

"You know how I feel about this Bonnie," Noah started in to which the emerald eyed girl released a long sigh. "But" - But? - "Considering all that he has done for you and the sacrifice he made to ensure your safety…I'm willing to give him a little slack." The young girl couldn't help but smile widely at her father's words. Surely they were mere words, but it was definitely a start to something. "But if you're going to continue seeing him, I want to make sure your protected." Bonnie's eyes widened in fear out of reaction, thinking immediately to the night before. "Meaning I'll be helping you harness your powers…everyday….no exceptions. I need to make sure that you're able to fight against anything harmful that comes your way; human, witch…but especially vampire."

Despite her father's obvious prejudice, Bonnie found it hard to rid herself of the smile that was plastered on her face. She knew that this all was a step up from what her father would usually do, thus it made her happy to hear that there was still a chance for Damon to be part of her life without any immediate interference from her father. Quickly leaning up to kiss a stale-faced Noah on the cheek, Bonnie sprinted upstairs to her room and shut the door behind her.

Hopping on her bed and reaching into the black and red bag, the young woman pulled out a familiar feeling object. Tilting the bag slightly, she looked on in amazement at the gift that Damon had got for her; the cup that he had broken a week ago - The World's 1 Daughter cup.

She wasn't sure as to why but she felt herself getting choked up at the item, finding it funny that everything that had happened was coming full circle somehow.

"You like it?" A voice from the corner of her bed behind her made the young witch jolt in her bed in surprise. Turning around she came face to face with her blue eyed vampire, smiling widely at his smooth attitude towards her excitement. Placing a hand to her chest, Bonnie let out a sigh of relief before nodding her head to respond to the man's question.

"But when and how?" she asked while holding the cup up in front of the two of them. "Last time I remembered, this thing was shattered to bits."

"The 'when' is not important…just know that vampire speed can get me to and fro without hassle. As far as the 'how'; I figured since I pretty much destroyed everything in your life, I should probably give back the things that are more tangible and current. Not to mention I took pottery class in the early 90s when it was all the rave, not to mention the only way a vampire could land a date without compelling." Bonnie gave a confused look.

"It was a bit before your time," the man said with a wave of his hands, "the point is that as a vampire, I can remember things more currently than most other stuff. So it only made since that while the image was still fresh in my mind, I find a little pottery shop…maybe compel the owner…and make you a cup." The young witch gave a small smile and raised her eyebrows. "Don't worry, the owner is safe and sound." That brought on a larger smile from the woman. Tossing the black and red bag on the floor and setting her new favorite cup on the nightstand by her bed, Bonnie turned back around to find a hand in her face holding something. It was a thin, long golden chain that seemingly had a small emblem of a cat dangling from the loop. In the center of the cat was a emerald colored gem that sparkled brightly, even without the aid of light to bounce off of it.

"It's beautiful," Bonnie said. Damon grinned to himself before setting down on the bed next to Bonnie.

"I wasn't sure how to segway into this conversation we would inevitably have…so I thought some nice jewelry would be the best way." The Bennett woman tilted her head before being signaled by Damon to turn around so that he could put on her new necklace. She obeyed and immediately began to pull her hair over one side of her shoulder. She could feel the touch of the man's fingertips against her skin as he worked on trying to get the necklace fastened around her neck.

"What is it Damon?" Bonnie asked worriedly, shifting her eyes back momentarily.

"I know despite how much of me you have accepted…there are things that I know you're not a big fan of."

"Such as?" The woman felt the man's fingertips dissipate as the necklace draped securely around her. She turned her face towards the Salvatore who's face was hanging down towards the bed.

"My eating habits for one…" It was silent between the two of them. Both had their heads pointed towards the bed, scanning their eyes over the colorful patterns of the sheets. It was a subject that Bonnie gave a lot of thought to…in fact she wondered how Damon was able to go so long in the week without feeding. Unless, of course, she wasn't there when he did. "After that discussion we had earlier about me not changing who I am…well…as much as I'd like to stop drinking human blood, this is something I don't think I'd be able to change as well."

"Have you considered taking up Stefan's diet?" Bonnie asked. The Salvatore shook his head and raised an eyebrow.

"I've spent almost every century since I became a vampire feeding on human blood. I'm not sure how long I can last on animal blood before I start fining for human blood again. That could only result in me going on a frenzy…then nobody is safe. And I'm pretty sure with you around I'll only put you in the frontline of harm…and I can't have that." Bonnie listened in on Damon, sympathetic for the man's dilemma. He sounded almost like her father when he slipped into alcoholism and had to go to AA. That entire summer she stayed with her Grams, not wanting to be around Noah when he was drunk because it broke her heart. Thankfully he wasn't a violent drunk, but that didn't make him any less stable either; He became a stranger who slept all day, drank more than needed, and would constantly cry. Of course with all the revealing details she had recently learned about her father, it was finally obvious as to why.

"What are you trying to ask me, Damon?" Bonnie inquired.

"Back home I have a supply of blood packs from the hospital that makes it easy for me to drink without having to attack and feed from a human directly." That was good news to the woman's ears. "But I need to know that if one day comes when I have no other option but to feed from humans…you won't have a problem."

"Damon, I can't make that decision right…"

"Bonnie," the man interrupted, looking up and leaning in closer to the Bennett woman, "I'm not giving up human blood. It's too dangerous for me to even attempt it at this stage of my…eternity. Do I like it? No, not at all. But this is who I am and what I'm going to be…forever, Bonnie."

"If you're asking if you have my approval to feed from humans on the off-chance of an emergency…then the answer is 'No'."

"Figures," Damon said with furrowed eyes and perched lips. "Fine, whatever. Looks like starvation is the next logical step. That or you're going to be hugely disappointed in me should an emergency come any time soon."

"However," Bonnie continued to say, irritated that Damon's knack for growing angry so quickly was a result to him pouting and sprouting out nonsensical babble, "You do have permission to feed from me." Damon's expressive eyes looked around the room for a second before he gave the woman a bewildered look.

"Forget it," he stated firmly, "I'm not feeding from you."

Bonnie responded with stern, almost demanding tone, "Yes you are. Because as far as I know, there are not a lot of witches out here in Mystic Falls who can stop you from feeding on them once they're on the brink of death."

"Bonnie, no"

"Damon, yes."

The vampire shot up from the bed and looked down at the woman with furious eyes, pacing left to right. They both tried to keep their voices at a reasonable level without drawing attention to Noah Bennett who was situated downstairs in the living room. Jumping back into bed with Bonnie, Damon inched in closely to her face and transformed into the vampire monster - his eyes pitch black, the veins around his face prominent, and his fangs showing and razor sharp.

"This is what will be feeding from you, Bonnie," Damon hissed lowly. "This is the face of a killer who may not be able to stop feeding once he begins." The man waited for a reaction of fear from the woman, but was not surprised when one didn't come. She showed no fear the night before…why would this moment be any different?

"We can argue about this until the cows come home," Bonnie said with a small smile, "I've made up my mind…and this is what I think is the best choice." Slowly the vampire-traits on Damon's face began to fade, and the ocean blue eyes, perfect white teeth, and smooth vanilla skin was back to it's original form. The woman leaned in to kiss the man softly on the lips knowing that the man was not going to feed from her if the time came…but she'd make sure that he had no other options. She'd rather risk her life than the life of an innocent who could not fight back. The Bennett woman had some experience when it came to battling vampires…if anybody was going to get fed on, it was her.

Damon leaned his body back against the headboard of the witch's bed and shook his head.

"Such a stubborn witch," he murmured aloud before letting out a small chuckle.

"Such a hard-headed, vampire," Bonnie retorted before going to lay on the man's chest in the same fashion that had woken up that morning. Closing her eyes, the young witch listened in to the man's hollow chest, taking strange comfort in the silence that was present within him.

"You can't save the world, Bonnie." Damon said, coming to realize the reason why she had made the decision for him to only feed from her. "What if we don't make it as a couple, huh? What if by circumstance I have to feed from a human or I die…would you still be so noble and willing to protect some strange girl that nobody would even remember the next day?" Bonnie was silent, not allowing for Damon's words to psyche her out. "What if I fed from one of those preppy kids from your school? I mean, nobody likes them."

"Too much innocent blood has be spilled in this town. My mother and Katherine made sure of that," Bonnie said with a shaky voice opening her eyes again but keeping her head still on his chest.

"You said you'd accept me for who I am."

"I do…that's why I'm making your food supply an easy choice to choose from. If you want to continue to drink blood, fine. I'm not going to try to stop you nor will I even complain. But there is always a right and wrong choice…and if I allow you to possibly kill a helpless person without making the sacrifice to do so myself, that's a wrong choice."

"But killing you in the process is the right choice?" Damon challenged. They both were silent, finding it difficult to find a common ground on the subject. Surely discussions like the one they were having would cause the duo to clash heads; Damon with his carefree attitude and Bonnie with her righteousness. Two completely different personalities fighting to make a sacrifice for one another - fighting to show the extent of their love. "If I killed you, Bonnie…I'd never forgive myself," Damon murmured aloud. "I've spent several centuries alone in this world, searching for a love that was a lie. I spent the next year making the same mistake all over again, only it hurt twice as much. But now I've found you…and I've genuinely fallen in love, but you want me to risk losing you by my own hand? Fuck that - I would rather give up on this relationship now then to allow myself to hurt you later. You're too good, Bonnie…too good for me. And because of that, I'm not going to screw anything up with you."

"But I'm the rose in your concrete world, Damon," Bonnie started to say in between sobs on the man's chest, feeling herself running out of things to say in the argument and worried that she'd have to subdue to his suggestion. "You keep my roots planted and secure for future growth, even when people pull away at me. And I'll always provide you with the beauty of life and colorful company despite the amount of people who ignore and walk all over his heart. That's what we are to each other…I've told my father that and now I'm telling you!" Damon had to quiet the woman down a bit, noticing her growing hysteria as she laid on his him, weeping like a child.

"I know Bonnie…it hurts to accept, but it's a choice we're both going to have to deal with," the man said soothingly, which almost immediately halted the witch's crying. "You may be a rose in my concrete world, but sooner or later the rose dies and there's no coming back from that. But the concrete? The concrete goes on forever and ever all across this world. Anything that tries to grow roots within us will surely die by our hands; suffocate from a lack of oxygen. I'm not going to stop you from growing, Bonnie. I'm not going to be the concrete that ends your life soon before you blossom into a beautiful rose." The Bennett witch had to take in a deep breath, not expecting her own beautiful words to be turned on her in such a harsh yet truthful fashion. "I'm sorry," Damon stated softly as he stroked the woman's head gently with his cool hand, "If I had known this conversation would bring out such an emotion in you, I wouldn't have said anything."

"No, I'm glad you said something," Bonnie responded with a sniff. "I'm glad we had this conversation in fact. Since you refuse to feed from me it gives me a reason to find a way to help with that bloodlust of yours without the aid of a human host." Damon couldn't help but chuckle aloud, shaking his head.

"You jut won't stop will you."

"Nope," Bonnie said with a slight chuckle under her drying tears.

"You're so damn stubborn."

"And you can't accept that I'm a liable challenge."

"You do realize we just had an argument on a situation that is hypothetical, right?" Damon asked with a snaky smile, looking down at the emotional woman.

"Shut up…you brought it up first. I just don't want you to go through what Stefan had to go through. It may not end as well, and I don't want that that."

"Then I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it."

"We won't have to…I'm going to help you, Damon." The vampire was silent at the woman's words. He appreciated her optimism, but was incredibly doubtful that any positive results would come of it. He knew what he was and what he was capable of. Sure Bonnie stopped Stefan during his bloodlust, but Damon had been feeding on humans for centuries which meant he was stronger, more able to fight against her advances. Still, Bonnie was determined and she wasn't giving up on Damon…not now…not yet. If there was one witch in the entire world who could find a remedy to a problem, it was Bonnie.

"Thank you for giving me a chance. For giving me choices that nobody else gave me," Damon said with genuine gratitude in his voice. Bonnie smiled widely at the man's thanks. "I can only tell you that I'm going to do my best to be what's right for you."

"As will I," Bonnie responded. "But this won't be easy for either one of us."

"Love never is," the vampire stated as he wrapped his arms around the woman tightly. "I love you, Bonnie."

"I love you, Damon." Bonnie said as she tightened her grip on the man also.

They both closed their eyes to get some sleep and drift off into the world of dreams. It was quite easy for them to lose themselves in each others arms when there was nothing more important then their love for one another. Surely they'd bicker and fight and have an all out war from time to time, but that was to be expected by their opposing personalities and traits. And whether their small group of friends agreed or not with the relationship they decided to pursue, it didn't matter to Damon and Bonnie at the end of the day.

It was their love.

It was their choice.

…and they chose to love each other.

* * *

**And that's all I wrote, lol. That's how I felt a relationship (in retrospect) could have happened. But mine is just one of literally hundreds of other stories out there in the Bamon community (not to mention the L.J. Smith Books themselves). I only hope the show takes note from some of the fanbase and give up what we want, lmao. On that note, this is the end my friends, and I hope you enjoyed this roller-coaster ride as much as I did. And to answer all those who will kill me if I don't answer right away...YES - I'm working on a sequel as we speak. Not entirely sure it'll be done in the near future only because I want to be able to get a concrete plot (no pun intended) and I want to have at least half of the chapters ready to go so that I can post them weekly instead of every other week. I hate having you all wait. But don't set standards up too high...they're hard to meet sometimes, lol. Anyhoo...thank you all again for being fantastic readers/commentators I'll try my best to improve on the sequel when I start working it out more. Have a blessed day...Peace :) **


	25. Sequel Announcment!

"**Same Old Stuff"**

**The sequel to "Rose In A Concrete World" IS HERE!**

**Check out, "Same Old Stuff" and discover how Bonnie and Damon's relationship is tested in this next Volume in this Bamon Drama/Romance. **

**Hope to c ya there ;)**


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